It only took one half against the Knicks to prove that the Bulls are no fluke
Posted November 1, 2025
The Chicago Bulls are off to an undefeated start on the season, but many expected their Cinderella run to be dashed tonight by the New York Knicks. Instead, the Bulls are not only standing tall against the Knicks but dominating them en route to a 19-point lead at halftime. The Bulls have continued to
The Bulls are leading the Eastern Conference favorites
The Bulls have won so far this season with a strong defense. Despite their offense being subpar, the defense has been a pleasant surprise and held opponents to low efficiency shooting while winning games. So far, they have done more of the same against the Knicks and made points hard to come by.
The Bulls' defense has been categorized as lucky due to uncharacteristically poor three-point shooting from opponents. But they’ve held their own against the Knicks even when New York was hitting outside shots. For the half overall, the Knicks shot 38 percent from three and still find themselves in a big hole.
At the same time, the Bulls' offense has come back to life, led by Josh Giddey. Giddey is on his way to stardom and making a loud statement in this game. He’s up to 21 points, six rebounds ,and four assists while looking absolutely unstoppable. His scoring aggression has always been the missing piece for his offense, and now it’s here for good.
The Bulls have gotten great contributors from others, too, notably Ayo Dosunmu. Coming off the bench, Dosunmu has done all the right things to win. He leads the game with a plus-25 in his minutes. He’s made the most of his opportunities by shooting 5-of-6 from the field for 13 points early.
The NBA Cup has been a great coming-out party for young teams in its first two seasons. The Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder finished as the first two runners-up before meeting in last season’s Finals. Now, it could be the Bulls’ turn to make their presence felt through the midseason tournament.
The Bulls are starting the season hot and carry that momentum all the way through to the NBA Cup knockout stage in Las Vegas. Success in the Cup will give them a chance to measure themselves against the best of the East and play in high-stakes games before the playoffs. For a young core lacking in postseason experience, it will be a great opportunity to mature and build for the rest of the season.
Dan Campbell’s brutally honest assessment of Lions should scare rest of NFL
The Detroit Lions have been one of the best teams in the NFL this season. Even after losing both of their coordinators this offseason, Detroit seemingly hasn't lost a step. They come out of their bye week with a 5-2 record, scoring key wins against some of the top contenders in the process.
If the Lions are to be believed, they still aren't playing to their full potential. Head coach Dan Campbell believes that Detroit still has another gear this season. The Lions HC said that they could stand to be better at playing complementary football over the course of the season.
“I really believe we haven't played our best ball yet collectively in all three phases,” Campbell said, per Eric Woodyard of ESPN. “And that's really what we're trying to get to here is how can we sharpen ourselves. We know it's going to take every phase. Every game's different, and one unit may have to pick up the slack, but we need to start playing complete ball across the board. And just keep improving — like with all these teams that we're in the race with right now. So, that's where we're at.”
The Lions have highlighted four key areas for improvement during their bye week. That includes their third-down efficiency on both sides of the ball. Detroit is ranked 22nd in third-down conversion rate this season with just 37.7%, far below their 47% rate last season. On the other side, they're allowing a similar third-down conversion rate on defense, which is higher than their 32.5% rate last year.
The two other areas that the Lions focused on during the bye week are their red zone defense and Jameson Williams' involvement on offense. While Detroit's defense has been generally solid this season, it's allowing a whopping 63.6% of its opponents' red zone trips to end in a touchdown. On the other hand, Williams has had an up-and-down season thanks in large part to his fluctuating target rate. Detroit's offense is at its best when the threat of Jamo downfield opens up the rest of the offense. Finding ways to get him in space is going to be crucial for this team moving forward.
The Lions open the second half of their season with a matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at home. Will Detroit apply what they've installed during the bye week in their next games?
