The Knicks won their second consecutive game on Monday, destroying the Bulls 135-105. After the Knicks got out to a 43-21 lead after one quarter, it was smooth sailing from there.

New York tied a franchise record with 84 points at halftime, leading 84-52 after two quarters. The Knicks had a game-high 44-point lead with three-and-a-half minutes left in the fourth quarter and won by 30 points.

The first half reminded fans what the Knicks showed during their historic run to a championship this summer and the Knicks' offense was firing on all cylinders. The defense was great, too.

With the Knicks pulling back to .500 for the first time this season, here are five takeaways from their blowout win.

Big takeaway: Four straight quarters of great Knicks’ basketball

The Knicks finally strung together four straight quarters of great basketball for the first time this season. Funnily enough, the span is the fourth quarter of Monday’s game vs. Brooklyn and the first three quarters of Wednesday’s game vs. the Bulls.

The game on Wednesday was so out of reach that it was basically over after the first quarter anyway. The Knicks fully emptied the bench with 1:08 left in the third quarter, when Jalen Brunson went to the bench.

In the final quarter on Monday vs. the Nets, the Knicks outscored Brooklyn, 28-to-11, while posting a 121.7 offensive rating, 50.0 defensive rating, and +71.7 net rating. For the first three quarters of the Knicks’ win on Wednesday, the Knicks outscored the Bulls113-to-79... that’s a 34-point difference in the score. They had a 144.9 ORTG (72.4% TS%), 100.0 DRTG, and +44.9 NETRTG in that span.

Add that all up and it’s a 139.6 ORTG, 89.1 DRTG, and a +50.5 NETRTG over the span of four quarters.

Small takeaway: Jalen Brunson loves playing his hometown Bulls

Jalen Brunson began the game on fire, setting a career-high in first quarter points with 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting (4-of-5 from three). He ended up finishing 10-of-17 from the field and 5-of-10 from three with 33 points (78.7% TS%) and four assists in around 28 minutes, coming out of the game for good with 1:08 left in the third quarter.

Jalen Brunson in 28 minutes tonight

33 points
4 assists
10-17 FG
5-10 3P
+33

🫡 pic.twitter.com/TCmo6Xmax1

— Teg🚨 (@IQfor3) November 5, 2026

He’s torched the Bulls over his last 11 games played vs. them, dating back to April 2024, averaging 30.5 PPG with a 60.0% TS%, sporting 47.5/40.2/84.1 shooting splits.

Remember: Brunson went to high school at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois, which is about 40 minutes away from the city of Chicago. This is the same guy who was training with Derrick Rose as a teenager when Rose was playing for the Bulls.

Big takeaway: OG Anunoby keeps getting to the free-throw line

In Wednesday’s win, OG Anunoby was only 3-of-10 from the field, but he scored 18 points because he went to the line six different times. He was 11-of-12 from the line.

Anunoby is averaging 6.5 free-throw attempts per game this season and has shot at least eight free throws in three of his last four games, and five of his last seven games. Last season for the Knicks, he averaged just 3.3 free-throw attempts per game.

The aggressiveness early on has been an interesting experience with OG to begin the season. He's driving more and taking on a larger role on offense, and at times that leads to bad decisions, bad shots, and turnovers. However, with how strong and big Anunoby is, that increases the chances of him getting to the line, as we've seen play a big part to start this season.

Big takeaway: Has Jose Alvarado lost his backup PG spot?

After Jalen Brunson played the entire first quarter and scored his 22 points, the first point guard off the bench into the game to replace him wasn’t Jose Alvarado; it was Tyler Kolek.

Kolek was the Knicks’ backup point guard during Alvarado’s four-game absence—due to a sprained ankle—and played well. In his first game vs. Orlando, he had nine assists in a defeat. In the next three games, the Knicks won his minutes each time, which is huge when you consider he’s replacing the Knicks’ best player.

Alvarado returned on Monday, struggled, and then was benched for Kolek, who led the Knicks during the fourth quarter, sporting a +13 plus-minus in just over five minutes. On Wednesday, Alvarado didn’t even get a chance. Kolek immediately had four assists in 6:39 on the floor in the second quarter, as the Knicks had a 157.1 ORTG and won those minutes by seven points.

Kolek played the final minute of the third quarter, the first three minutes of the fourth quarter, and then Jose Alvarado relieved him with nine minutes left for garbage time.

Small takeaway: Mike Brown rode his makeshift starting lineup

Without Josh Hart, Landry Shamet started in his place, and Mike Brown decided to ride with that starting lineup group longer than he has to start any game this season. They scored 22 points on 16 first-quarter possessions (137.5 ORTG), only allowing 16 points (75.0 DRTG).

The season high for first-quarter possessions for a Knicks’ starting lineup is 12, achieved in two of their losses: October 25 vs. the Magic and October 30 in Philadelphia. However, none of those starting lineups—all the same as last year—scored to start out a game like the Knicks’ starting group did on Wednesday vs. the Bulls, having not scored more than 12 points in the first quarter.

The Brunson/Bridges/Shamet/OG/KAT five-man lineup played 24 possessions together on Wednesday, recording a 150.0 ORTG, 88.0 DRTG, and +62.0 NETRTG. And that shouldn’t be shocking, Mike Brown always finds the right solution.

The Knicks have now played 579 possessions without their starting lineup five-man lineup on the floor. The Knicks have a 119.2 ORTG and +9.7 NETRTG outside of their starting lineup group. The Knicks last season had a +9.3 NETRTG in all other lineups outside their starters.