Guard Josh Giddey returns to watch Bulls embarrassed in the Big Apple

It wasn’t a fluke as far as Josh Giddey was concerned.

When the Bulls jumped out of the gate with a 5-0 record to start off the 2025-26 regular-season campaign, it wasn’t playing bully against the likes of the Washingtons and Brooklyns. No, it was a season-opening win over now Eastern Conference-leading Detroit, as well as beating playoff-caliber teams like Orlando, Atlanta, and New York.

There was something there back in late October. Months ago that might as well feel like years, especially in the wake of Friday’s embarrassing 136-96 loss to the Knicks.

“I’ve said this before, but I really think we started off the season the right way,” Giddey said. “We were building momentum with the group we had, and then obviously at the deadline things changed.”

Maybe. But things changed before that. Injuries, inconsistent defense, more mediocrity from a group that toiled in mediocrity for too long.

Changes had to be made by the front office, and actually they were long overdue. With just five games left, however, Giddey wasn’t done trying to search for something positive. As bad as the year has gone, in Giddey’s mind there is still something worth salvaging.

“We blew up half our team and we kind of went from building momentum with the guys we had to like a mini-camp midseason, trying to get guys acclimated to what we’re doing, so yeah, it was challenging,” Giddey said. “It was challenging for everybody. It’s not like it was just me or one other guy. Everybody had to go through it. The front office makes the decisions they make and it’s our job to play and go out there and win games. We haven’t done that nearly even close to a high enough level.

“But it’s about finishing the right way and doing the right things, staying with it. At the end of the day it’s the NBA and we don’t take that for granted. We need to finish this off the right way, regardless of playoffs or not.”

The “right way” at this point would be the Bulls navigating the final stretch by using Giddey – and the other known pieces – in games where there is an obvious talent disadvantage, and then against the likes of fellow tankers such as Washington and Dallas, call that a good night to rest the hamstring.

Giddey missed the Wednesday game against the Pacers but was back at it against New York on Friday. Not exactly an ideal matchup to come back for.

Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson scored the first basket of the game 45 seconds in, and who would have guessed that actually would have been enough to keep New York in front until midway through the first quarter if the home team wouldn’t have scored another point.

A Matas Buzelis free throw was all the Bulls (29-48) could muster until Collin Sexton hit a three-pointer with 5:25 left in the opening stanza. By that point the damage was done and Giddey and the Bulls were down 20-4.

A close game compared to what was coming.

By the end of the first half, the Knicks had the largest halftime lead in franchise history, up 37 points and getting very little resistance.

They hit 30-of-51 (.59%) from the field and outrebounded the Bulls 31-18.

How bad was it for Giddey and his teammates? At one point midway through the second quarter they had more turnovers than field goals and still finished the half with 14 field goals to 11 turnovers. New York turned the ball over twice.

Not exactly finishing “this off the right way.”

Sexton led the Bulls with 19, while Giddey struggled in his return, shooting 3-of-12 from the field with four turnovers.

While there was no defense for that kind of showing, the Bulls are under a darker cloud than Giddey would even admit. Coach Billy Donovan could walk away, while the front office is hanging in limbo.

And while Giddey was trying to stay optimistic, the inevitable feels like it’s coming for this organization.