Bulls blow lead, but beat Knicks to win second straight
Nikola Mirotic didn't shy away from reminding the reporters surrounding his locker that the Bulls are 2-0 since he made his season debut.
The Bulls built their first win streak of the season by beating the New York Knicks 104-102 on Saturday at the United Center. Mirotic led the way with 19 points, while hitting 5-of-8 shots from 3-point range.
"There's nothing coincidence here," Mirotic said half-jokingly and in broken English. "I told (assistant coach) Randy Brown at the Charlotte game that we were going to win that game. He said, 'Why?' and I said, "Because I'm back.' And we won that game.
"Today I told him too. I said, 'Randy, we're going to be 2-0.' He said, 'Niko, I trust you.' So there is nothing coincidence."
It's obvious the Bulls needed some help after starting the season 3-20 with a 10-game losing streak. Not only Mirotic, but getting David Nwaba back after a month off with an ankle injury has also been a boost.
Nwaba continued to get loose for fast-break baskets and contributed a personal 7-0 midway through the fourth quarter. He finished with 15 points against the Knicks, while Kris Dunn produced 17 points and 9 assists.
The Bulls led 102-92 with 2:03 left, but the Knicks took advantage of some mistakes and went on a 10-0 run, tying the game on a jumper by Kristaps Porzingis with 7.4 seconds left.
On the final possession, Dunn got a step and headed toward the basket, while New York's Courtney Lee was called for the foul trying to stop Dunn's progress. Dunn drained both free throws with 2.9 seconds left. Porzingis got a good look at a potential winning 3, but it rimmed out at the buzzer.
Mirotic missed the first 23 games due to injuries suffered in the Oct. 17 practice altercation with teammate Bobby Portis. Now Mirotic and Portis are playing together on the Bulls' second unit. For the second-straight night, the reserves pushed the Bulls into the lead early in the fourth quarter.
"He (Mirotic) been really good both nights," coach Fred Hoiberg said. "He knows where to be. He's in the right position. Niko's a guy that's been playing this game for a long time at a high level. To get that type of player back ... I think he and Bobby have been terrific together on that second unit."
Mirotic insisted he was excited to play again simply because he'd been out for so long. It had nothing to do with trying to prove himself to anyone.
"I was watching a lot of games and I was just seeing and thinking how I could help the team when I came back," Mirotic said.: My confidence is high now, especially since I had support from my teammates on the first day I was back.
"(I'm) just trying to enjoy the basketball. It's been a long time since I've been competing; without playing in the summer, with just a few games in the preseason. It's been a few months I was not playing, so I missed the game and just step on the floor trying to find a way to make an impact."
Mirotic skipped his usual Spanish national team duty to work on improving his strength this summer.
"Trust me, I was not thinking about the past," he said. "I was just thinking about the future and how I can play well and help the team to win."
So far, Mirotic and the Bulls are 2-for-2.
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