Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter |

In the NBA, teams usually get the day off after playing two consecutive games. But the Knicks lost in Brooklyn on Friday and were embarrassed at home by Boston on Saturday, so they lost the luxury of an off day on Sunday.

"Coach Fiz was on our tails yesterday," Bobby Portis said. "We were supposed to have an off-day….We came in and still put the work in."

The work wasn't apparent early on Monday against Chicago. But a key adjustment in the second half -- and some timely shooting from Portis -- helped New York rebound from a 18-point deficit to win for the first time this season.

THE ADJUSTMENT:

In the second half, RJ Barrett noticed that the Bulls big man was up when defending ball screens. This left the short roll open for Julius Randle.

Randle had struggled with turnovers for much of the night, but he was able to make plays late against Chicago's pick-and-roll defense. He had three assists -- all on three-pointers -- in the fourth quarter. Two of them were on Portis 3s on consecutive possessions.

"He finally said, 'Wait a minute. I'm running into traffic right now. I've just got to move the ball. It's not going to be me tonight,'" David Fizdale said. "That's a big step for him to do that."

Portis' play, rightfully so, will get the attention. He had 11 points in the fourth quarter to key New York's comeback win against his old team. Those two late 3s were the key baskets in the Knicks' 15-0 run to end the game.

Fans chanted Portis' name after his 3-pointer with 1:09 to play gave the Knicks a five-point lead.

"Nineteen thousand fans, man. It's fun when they call your name," said Portis, who finished with 28 points on 10-for-14 shooting. "That's actually the first time that's ever happened."

Portis' night was remarkable. As was Barrett's The rookie had another strong outing, finishing with 19 points, 15 rebounds and five assists (and eight turnovers) in New York's win. He's been, arguably, the league's best rookie so far.

But Randle's adjustments -- in the big picture -- may have been the most important development for New York on Monday.

RANDLE FIGURING IT OUT?

Prior to the game, Fizdale said Randle was still getting adjusted to his role in New York. The Knicks are asking Randle to share the ball, defend, score consistently and lead this young Knicks team - something he didn't need to do for his previous employers.

"Now he's juggling that and trying to figure it out. And I think step-by-step, he'll get there," Fizdale said.

Initially, Monday looked like more of a learning experience for Randle. He had five turnovers and had missed seven of his 11 shots in the first three quarters; his team trailed by double digits for much of the game. But Randle's play in the fourth quarter helped New York avoid a tough 0-4 start.

Fizdale said earlier Monday that the coaches have been working with the forward to help him make certain reads.

"We put him in a ton of situations in practice so he can start seeing those outlets when people are really loading into him. He's going to get better and better because his agenda is pure," Fizdale said. "I always feel like guys improve when they're about the team."

Randle finished the night with 13 points, 14 rebounds and five assists. He also had five turnovers. But it seemed like something clicked late in the game.

"I've just got to relax, get my teammates involved more and let the game come to me," Randle said before tipoff. "If they're going to play me like that I've got to just accept it and let the game come."

Randle draws a ton of attention from the opposing defense. For much of the first four games, he seemed to be overly concerned with bullying defenders around the basket. If Randle can continue to find open shooters in the ways he did in the fourth quarter Monday, it would pay major dividends for New York.

MORE SHOOTERS:

At halftime on Monday, one opposing exec wondered why Fizdale wasn't playing more shooters against Chicago.

"There's no spacing," the exec said, noting that the Knicks seemed to be trying to force post-ups early in the season.

Fizdale played Wayne Ellington and Kevin Knox more often in the second half - and it seemed to pay off. New York outscored Chicago by 17 in the final two quarters. Knox had 10 points on five shots in nine second-half minutes. Ellington had just two points in the second half but seemed to help open the floor for the Knicks. New York outscored Chicago by 20 in Ellington's 14 second-half minutes.

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