Green sets career highs with 25 points, 13 rebounds as Bulls beat Knicks 108-100

CHICAGO -- — Javonte Green threw down a dunk so vicious his teammate got a technical for celebrating on the sideline. It was that kind of night for him.

Green set career highs with 25 points and 13 rebounds, Ayo Dosunmu scored 24 and the Chicago Bulls beat the New York Knicks 108-100 on Friday night.

Green had the crowd roaring in the second quarter roaring with a thunderous reverse dunk that was so impressive the guys on the bench were in awe. Andre Drummond got a technical from the sideline.

“It was a great feeling,” Green said. “I'm not gonna help Andre pay the fine. Andre's a pro. I feel like that's my game, though. Just bring excitement to the game and just play as hard as I can and just try to win each game for the team.”

When he wasn't throwing down vicious dunks, the 6-foot-5 guard was cleaning up around the rim.

Green spent much of the season with the G League's Santa Cruz Warriors while working his way back from a knee injury that happened last year with Chicago. The Bulls signed him to a 10-day contract this past March 23 and locked him in for the remainder of the season on Thursday.

“The energy, the enthusiastic style of play he brings, the person he is off the court — he's one of those guys you want to have on your team,” DeMar DeRozan said. “It's been a tough year for him just trying to get healthy. For him to come out and be doing what he's been doing since he came back, it's amazing.”

DeRozan scored 20 and had 10 assists while Nikola Vucevic added 16 points and 13 rebounds. Drummond had 10 points and 16 boards.

Coby White and Alex Caruso exited with ankle injuries, and the Bulls overcame a 35-point effort by Jalen Brunson to win the first of three meetings between the two teams over the final 10 days of the regular season.

Ninth-place Chicago leads Atlanta by a game in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls, who own the head-to-head tiebreaker, would host a play-in game if they finish with identical records.

Brunson also had 11 assists. But after rallying to beat Sacramento the previous night, New York lost for the fourth time in five games. The Knicks remained tied with Orlando for the fourth-best record in the East.

“They played with more energy and more pace than we did,” Brunson said. “That's two games in a row where we were down big early. We just can't allow that to happen.”

What can the Knicks do to prevent that?

“Wake up,” Brunson said.

Chicago led by 20 in the second quarter. The Knicks got within four in the third and outscored the Bulls 31-20 in the quarter. The Bulls got the lead back up to double digits in the fourth before New York made another push.

It was 101-97 when Green put back DeRozan’s missed 3 with just over two minutes remaining. The Knicks’ Isaiah Hartenstein made a free throw, but Vucevic answered with a 3 to make it 106-98.

New York’s Josh Hart, who scored a season-high 31 against Sacramento on Thursday, was ejected after his right foot struck Green in the head. Hart was stripped on a drive toward the basket near the end of the first quarter, and his leg kicked up and hit Green in the side of his head.

OG Anunoby played about 29 minutes and scored 12 in his first appearance since March 16. The defensive stopper missed the previous nine games after his surgically repaired right elbow flared up.

UP NEXT

Knicks: Visit Milwaukee on Sunday night.

Bulls: Visit Orlando on Sunday night.

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