CHICAGO, Feb. 20 (Ticker) -- Jalen Rose could not have had a better debut for the Chicago Bulls.

Rose scored 36 points and powered a fourth-quarter rally as the Bulls erased a 16-point deficit and defeated the New York Knicks, 113-109, to snap a four-game losing streak.

Rose was acquired Tuesday as the centerpiece of a seven-player deal with the Indiana Pacers. The 6-8 swingman immediately became Chicago's best player and clearly was the primary option on offense.

"It feels good to get one under our belt," Rose said. "Obviously there has been a lot of speculation and talk about the trade and how it's going to affect both teams. Right now, we're not a championship-quality team; we have a long way to go. Today was a start. We want to keep building."

NBA TV highlights from Knicks-Bulls: 56k | 300k In his fourth career start, Eddy Curry recorded his second double-double, and was one of six Bulls in double figures. Glenn James NBAE/Getty Images

"It feels good to get one under our belt," Rose said. "Obviously there has been a lot of speculation and talk about the trade and how it's going to affect both teams. Right now, we're not a championship-quality team; we have a long way to go. Today was a start. We want to keep building."

"When you have a situation where you know the guy is going to get the ball and he can make a play, that makes everyone else better," Bulls coach Bill Cartwright said. "We did not have `The Guy' before. Now we do. It's kind of nice."

Wearing the No. 5 he wore with the Pacers, Rose played 44 minutes -- an issue when he was with the Pacers. He shook off a slow start to make 13-of-24 shots and 10-of-11 free throws as he scored the most points by any Bull this season.

"We gave Jalen four minutes off. That was enough," Cartwright said. "He is a player that wants to be out there on the floor."

"We had no answer for Jalen Rose tonight," Knicks coach Don Chaney said. "He took over the game. We went flat to a degree and couldn't stop them."

Rose's presence also helped his teammates. Tyson Chandler had 13 points and a season-high 14 rebounds and fellow teenage rookie Eddy Curry had season highs of 16 points and 12 boards.

"They were really encouraging," Rose said. "They were really positive about getting the win."

"He's a player that exudes confidence," Knicks guard Allan Houston said. "You knew he would keep coming. Their guys let him dictate their offense and played off of him."

Houston scored 34 points and Latrell Sprewell added 30 for the Knicks, who again blew another big lead and dropped their third straight game. New York has blown 12 double-digit leads this season.

"We talked about that in the huddle," Rose said. "They are a team that if you stay in the game, they will find a way to lose it."

The Knicks closed the third quarter with a 10-1 surge to open an 83-75 lead and 3-pointers by Charlie Ward and Sprewell widened the advantage to 89-77 with 10:15 remaining. Another 3-pointer by Sprewell gave New York a 99-90 lead with 5:24 to play before the Bulls began their comeback.

Two free throws apiece by Rose, Chandler and Fred Hoiberg and a layup by trade acquisition Travis Best cut the deficit to 99-98 with 3:56 to go. Mark Jackson, who had a triple-double, made a 3-pointer, but Best hit a jumper, Rose spun along the baseline for a layup and Hoiberg drilled a 3-pointer off penetration by Rose for a 105-102 lead with 2:15 left.

"No question, he's a big-time player," Best said. "That's why the trade was made. I think we complement each other well and you'll continue to see that every night."

Sprewell made two free throws, but Rose drove past him for a layup. Kurt Thomas hit a pair from the line, but Rose made a jumper over Sprewell for a 109-106 edge with 1:06 to play.

Hoiberg added a free throw before Houston's 3-pointer made it 110-109 with 53 seconds to go. The Knicks forced the ball out of Rose's hands and Best missed a jumper, but Chandler grabbed the offensive rebound, drew a foul and made two free throws with 26 seconds remaining.

Best, Hoiberg and rookie Trenton Hassell scored 12 points each for the Bulls, who shot 49 percent (39-of-79) and made 29-of-38 free throws.

Jackson had 15 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds for his 18th career triple-double, moving past Scottie Pippen into fourth place among active players. It was the first triple-double by a Knick since Chris Childs vs. Charlotte on January 24, 1997.

New York shot 42 percent (38-of-90) but made 15-of-27 from the arc.

"This one got away because of our lack of resolve," Houston said. "It's disappointing to go out there and keep making the same mistakes."

Rose missed a dunk early on and scored just eight points in the first half. The Bulls trailed by 16 points late in the first quarter before settling for a 51-43 halftime deficit.

"It was the first time I ever missed a dunk, so that was a little ironic," Rose said. "But the guys really rallied around me and gave me an opportunity to play."

Rose scored 15 points in the third quarter, including a 17-foot jumper that gave Chicago a 74-73 lead with 2:19 to play.