CHICAGO — On paper, the Knicks are the better team.

They have two perennial All-Stars to the Bulls’ none, a pair of three-and-D wings who’d fit on any roster, a monster defensive anchor, the league’s most productive bench scorer over the past five seasons, and at least three others who could start or close games for playoff contenders.

If you simulated it in NBA 2K26, New York would probably win 90 times out of 100.

But basketball isn’t played on paper, and video games don’t count in the standings.

The Knicks had to win it on the hardwood, in real time, against a red-hot Chicago team that entered Friday undefeated at 4–0.

They didn’t.

At full strength for the first time since the preseason opener, the Knicks fell flat in a 135-125 loss on Halloween — their third straight defeat to close an early road trip that’s gone from disappointing to alarming.

First came the stumble in Miami. Then the collapse in Milwaukee. And now, a loss in Chicago against a team New York should outclass in every measurable category.

This, however, is the reality of life under Mike Brown: a new era that was always going to start bumpy. His complete overhaul of both the offense and defense — coupled with injuries to key players — guaranteed growing pains. But few expected them to look quite this rough.

It doesn’t get much uglier than what unfolded at the United Center. The Knicks surrendered 35 points in the first quarter and 37 in the second, with only a Mikal Bridges buzzer-beating 3 saving them from trailing by 20-plus at halftime.

They couldn’t stop a soul, their defensive effort no sturdier than the new subway turnstiles back home: still easy to get through.

“I worry more about us than about our opponents, and I think if you become elite at what you do and you believe in what you do, you can do it at the highest level,” Brown preached before tipoff. “So for us, it’s more about us. We can combat anyone’s transition if we take care of the ball and execute our rules the right way no matter if we’re playing fast or slow. We want to try to play fast. We’re not playing as fast as I want to right now, but I don’t wanna adjust every time I see an opponent to them. We want to make people adjust to us.”

Instead, the Knicks adjusted to everyone but themselves.

They turned the ball over early and often. They lost Bulls center Nikola Vucevic beyond the arc — he hit four 3s on eight attempts — and they had no answer for point guard Josh Giddey, who carved them up for a career-high 32 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Chicago’s bench poured in 50 points to New York’s 21, led by Ayo Dosunmu’s 22 on 8-of-10 shooting.

And once again, the Knicks’ offense defaulted to its old habits — a heavy dose of Brunson Ball with a side of everyone else figure it out.

Jalen Brunson finished with 29 points on 12-of-25 shooting. OG Anunoby (26 points), Bridges (23) and Karl-Anthony Towns (22) each added 20-plus. Yet the Knicks still managed to lose while scoring 125 points — a number that should’ve been enough to win comfortably.

Mitchell Robinson’s return to the starting lineup provided no defensive salvation. The Bulls had their way in the paint, on the glass and from beyond the arc.

There is one silver lining: the Knicks don’t leave home again for two weeks. Their next seven games are at Madison Square Garden, starting with a rematch against the same Bulls who just ran them off the floor.

But the spooky truth of Halloween night? New York’s issues go far deeper than travel fatigue or home-court comfort.

This team has work to do — and five games in, they’re already running out of excuses.

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