After losing Wednesday night by 30 to the New York Knicks in a game that wasn’t that close, the Chicago Bulls are one of five teams tied for the league’s worst record at 1-7. The Knicks have beaten them twice already and face them again in less than a month, but after that their season series is over. The Knicks won’t have the Bulls to push around anymore.

Yet, there were positive signs in the blowout victory nonetheless for New York. One offers the simplest answer as to how the Knicks might get out of their early-season rut and start looking like the champs again.

Knicks finally started a game off on a good note, and the effects were obvious

The Knicks won Wednesday night’s game right off the bat with a torrid start. Here are the shot zones for both teams in the first quarter, starting with Chicago.

And then the Knicks.

New York was able to compel Chicago to take shots the Bulls don’t want to take. While the visitors were 7-of-12 combined at the rim and on corner threes, most of that damage came at the cup; Chicago only made one three-pointer in the frame, versus New York’s seven. That’s an 18-point advantage in a quarter they won by 22.

More impressive than their success with their shots was where the Knicks were forcing Chicago to shoot from. Outside of the corners and the restricted area, the Bulls took 13 shots, missing twelve.

The defending champs have been using the early season to work toward a better offense, but thankfully the defense hasn’t been as shy about a return to form. If the game wasn't already a blowout by the fourth quarter, the Knicks might have clamped down late and held a fourth opponent in five games under 100 points. They’ll settle for the win.

As impressive as their first quarter domination was, the occurrence itself was even more notable. Entering last night the Knicks have struggled early in games, with a negative net rating in the opening frame. The biggest advantage they’d held after one quarter was six points over the Nets on Monday.

Wednesday night the margin was 22. You can play with a certain freedom of conscience when you know there's depth backing you up.

Against the Bulls, the Knicks finally saw the depth they've built up over the years make a difference again after some early-season struggles. Mohamed Diawara came through with eight points, six rebounds and four assists. Andre Drummond logged nine rebounds and six points in just 12 minutes. Jordan Clarkson notched another outing with 10 or more points, and newcomer Dalton Knecht got off to a nice start with 10 points and seven rebounds.

All of these contributions helped take the lead the starters built up and sustain it, leading to the most complete performance by far we've seen from New York all season long.

Mike Brown continues to push the right buttons

Brunson started out hotter than the sun, scoring 22 in the first quarter; not surprisingly, he played all 12 minutes. In the second quarter the backcourt business was handled by Landry Shamet and Tyler Kolek.

The starters ran things again in the third; in the fourth it was Jose Alvarado and Jordan Clarkson’s time to shine. No Knick played more than 28 minutes. If Tom Thibodeau were coaching last night, the starters would’ve been in until the final two minutes.

The reciprocal of Brown’s willingness to rest his best players is his willingness to elevate those who play less, and not just a 30- or 90-second stint. Before last night, Mo Diawara, James Wiseman and Dalton Knecht had played 19 combined minutes this season. Wednesday night they played 47, including Knecht for the whole fourth quarter of his Knick debut and 10 minutes in the frame for Wiseman.

Those are the kind of micro-successes that can pay off big-time when the games matter most. Look no further than last year’s title run. 

Miles McBride wasn’t a starter, but when OG Anunoby couldn’t suit up for either game in Philadelphia Deuce stepped in and the Knicks won by 14 and 30. Ariel Hukporti played in the majority of their playoff games. Jeremy Sochan was on the floor for critical defensive possessions in the Finals.

Knecht may not even last the season in New York. But Wednesday night he was available, and Brown didn’t wait to see what he could do, throwing him right out there with the starters. Wiseman, 25, has been let go by three teams who barely played him. Diawara, despite starting a four-year contract this season, hadn’t played a single meaningful minute until Wednesday.

Could Diawara be a spot starter come spring? Might Wiseman have established himself by then as a viable third center, and leave a memorable mark like Hukporti did in Game 5 in San Antonio? Will Knecht be on the court for critical defensive possessions?

Okay, scratch that last one. But you get the point. The Knicks have the grit and the guys not only to make another 100-game journey, but to once again come out on top. 

Most importantly, they have a coach who sees the big picture and plans accordingly. Sometimes that means playing his subs more. Sometimes magic happens when those same subs step into a bigger spot under a brighter spotlight. I doubt anyone was watching garbage time last night and thinking about June—except Mike Brown. Advantage, Knicks.