New York coach Mike Brown was straight to the point when addressing where the Knicks need to improve ahead of Sunday's home clash with the undefeated Chicago Bulls.

It will mark the long-time Eastern Conference rivals' second meeting in three days, after the Bulls claimed a 135-125 NBA Cup group-opening win in Chicago on Friday.

The Knicks battled hard after half-time, but the 22-point hole they stumbled into late in the second quarter -- trailing 72-50 -- was simply too deep.

"Real simple tonight," Brown said. "We lacked the physicality that we wanted to have and that we've been showing on the defensive end. Our ability to guard the basketball was not good in the first half. We were getting blown by, possession after possession after possession. ... Our defense, in the first half espec

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