The Chicago Bulls fell to the New York Knicks 133-127 at the United Center last night. Despite some impressive individual performances and a strong start to the second half, Chicago couldn't hold off a red-hot Knicks offense down the stretch.

There were plenty of encouraging signs from the Bulls' young core, but the same issues that have plagued this team early in the season came back to bite them.

Matas Buzelis brought a different level of energy.

Buzelis finished with 17 points and five rebounds, but his activity level stood out more than anything. He was fighting for rebounds, tipping balls around the rim and making life difficult for the Knicks on the glass.

The scoring is great, but Buzelis needs to continue finding ways to impact the game outside of putting the ball in the basket. His activity on the glass and willingness to do the dirty work were encouraging signs.

Josh Giddey did Josh Giddey things.

Giddey flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 10 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists. More importantly, he was actively looking for his own shot throughout the night.

When Giddey is aggressive as a scorer, defenders have to respect him, which opens up passing lanes for his teammates. His rebounding also helped Chicago get out and run, creating plenty of transition opportunities.

Norman Powell was absolutely cooking.

Powell gave the Knicks problems all night, finishing with 30 points on 10-of-15 shooting, including four made threes.

Chicago brought Powell in to provide reliable perimeter scoring and that's exactly what he delivered. When Powell gets rolling, he's one of the toughest players on this roster to slow down.

Point forward Caleb Wilson is real.

Wilson's passing continues to be one of the most exciting developments of his young career. His court vision is exceptional, especially for a rookie forward.

He threw a beautiful lob to Buzelis in transition and delivered a full-court outlet pass to Jalen Smith for an easy bucket. Wilson's ability to create offense for his teammates adds another dimension to his already impressive offensive arsenal.

The Bulls have something special brewing with his playmaking ability.

Jalen Smith was a monster.

Smith finished with 17 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks, including two massive rejections in crunch time.

Smith has been one of Chicago's most dependable players early in the season. His ability to protect the rim, clean up the glass and contribute offensively was on full display against New York.

The Bulls need to learn how to finish.

If there's one word that should define Chicago's development this season, it's finish.

The Bulls came out of halftime firing on all cylinders, but their momentum fizzled toward the end of the third quarter. New York took advantage and clawed its way back into the game.

Finishing isn't just about closing out games. It's about finishing quarters, finishing defensive possessions with rebounds and maintaining the same level of intensity for 48 minutes.

Chicago made a late push behind some huge plays from Smith and Giddey, but by that point, the damage had already been done.

This team has shown it can get hot and build leads. Now it needs to prove it can hold onto them.

Jalen Brunson was simply too good.

Sometimes you have to tip your cap.

Brunson finished with 38 points and seven assists, carving up Chicago's defense regardless of what the Bulls threw at him.

Chicago sent double teams, tried forcing him right and attempted to speed him up. None of it seemed to matter.

Brunson controlled the pace of the game and delivered when New York needed him most. There's a reason he's one of the best guards in basketball.

The three-point defense was a disaster.

The Knicks shot an absurd 22-of-48 from beyond the arc, good for 45.8%. New York absolutely lit up the United Center from deep, particularly in the second half.

Chicago struggled to close out on shooters and allowed far too many comfortable looks from three.

But the bigger issue starts at the point of attack.

When the Bulls can't keep opposing ball handlers in front of them, the entire defense gets thrown into rotation. Help defenders have to collapse into the paint, leaving shooters open on the perimeter.

Against a team like New York, that's a recipe for disaster.

The Bulls need to do a better job running shooters off the line, but that won't happen consistently until their perimeter defenders start containing the ball.

Chicago can score with just about anybody when its offense gets rolling. But giving up 22 threes makes winning basketball games awfully difficult.

The Bulls showed plenty of fight against New York, and while the result wasn't what they wanted, there was a lot to like about this performance. The young core continues to show promise, Norman Powell is providing a reliable scoring punch and Jalen Smith is becoming a legit starting center.

For a rebuilding team like Chicago, the wins and losses aren't nearly as important as the effort and development. There are still plenty of things to clean up defensively, but if the Bulls bring this level of energy and competitiveness most nights, the results will take care of themselves.

Chicago will get another crack at the Celtics on Friday night after an ugly loss in Boston on Monday. More than anything, it'll be another opportunity for this young group to show its growth and build on the positives from this performance.