Chicago Bulls: Top 10 moments from 2017-18 NBA season

3. Markannen shines in Madison Square Garden debut

The bad news was the Bulls had dropped four of their previous five contests coming into this Jan. 10 matchup against the New York Knicks. On the other side of the coin, the Bulls had won both of the previous meetings between these two teams, which essentially meant the game could go either way.

The two teams battled back and forth all evening so it was only fitting that it would take more than 48 minutes before the outcome was decided. In fact, it took two overtime periods before the Bulls managed to produce a 122-119 win, ending their four-game losing skid at Madison Square Garden.

Markkanen — who was already exceeding expectations — had his best outing of the season, scoring a season-high 33 points on 10-for-22 shooting from the field, including an 8-for-15 effort from 3-point range.  He also pulled down 10 boards and became just the second seven-footer to make eight 3-pointers in an NBA game. The other player is none other than future Hall-of-Famer Dirk Nowitzki.

Not only was the rookie’s shooting touch on display, he also demonstrated that he can be an effective finisher around the rim as well. Just ask Enes Kanter.

Markkanen had a number of solid outings during the 2017-18 campaign, but this performance was proof the Bulls had acquired a player they can build around for many years to come.