Bulls-Knicks Preview

By MATT BECKER
Posted Apr 07 2012 4:25PM

The Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks both continue to win despite injuries to some of their top players.

The Bulls, though, might not have to go without the league's reigning MVP for much longer.

Chicago is hopeful Derrick Rose will return after missing nearly a month to face New York on Sunday at Madison Square Garden.

Rose practiced with the Bulls (43-13) on Saturday and declared himself ready to return after missing the last 12 games with a groin injury.

"My groin is not bothering me," Rose said. "I'm happy to move on. My spirits are up. ... And hopefully I'll be playing Sunday."

Coach Tom Thibodeau is still calling his star a game-time decision, so it remains uncertain if Rose will take the court.

"It's really not up to (Thibodeau). It's up to me," Rose said. "If I'm feeling good, I'm going to play. If I think that I need some more days, I'm going to take some more days. More than likely I'll be out there."

The Bulls are 15-7 on the season without Rose and 8-4 during the latest stretch.

"Our team has shown all year that we have great fight and we believe we can win with whoever we have out there," Thibodeau said after Thursday's 93-86 win over Boston.

The Knicks (28-27) return to New York after winning 96-80 in Orlando on Thursday to move to 4-2 since losing Amare Stoudemire (back) and Jeremy Lin (knee). While Stoudemire could be back in another week, Lin is likely done for the season.

New York has won 10 of 13 since coach Mike Woodson took over for Mike D'Antoni, whose tenure ended with a six-game losing streak. Defense has been the key to its recent success.

The Knicks are allowing an average of 83.3 points in their last 10 victories, compared to 107.2 in the past nine defeats.

On Thursday, New York held Dwight Howard to eight points and the Magic to 36 after halftime.

"It was a total team effort," Woodson said of the defensive performance.

Carmelo Anthony has stepped up in the wake of the injuries to Stoudemire and Lin, averaging 27.7 points on 48.3 percent shooting in the last six games. The five-time All-Star averaged 14.0 points on 39.4 percent shooting in the previous seven.

While the Knicks have picked up their defensive intensity, the Bulls have been known for their defense all season under Thibodeau. They allow an average of 88.8 points to rank second in the league and are 29-0 when limiting teams to 91 or less.

Luol Deng may be Chicago's best defensive player - he tied a season high with four steals Thursday - and he's carried the offense lately with at least 20 points in four of his last five games. The Bulls are 16-3 when he scores at least 20.

Deng sat out Chicago's last game against the Knicks on March 12, a 104-99 victory, because of a sprained wrist. Rose led the way with 32 points, seven assists and six rebounds, but hasn't played since.

Rose also had 32 points and 13 assists at MSG on Feb. 2 in a 105-102 win. He's averaged 27.9 points in the past seven meetings as Chicago has gone 5-2.

"We definitely want Derrick back out there, he helps, but even when Derrick comes back it's not going to be easy," said Joakim Noah, averaging 14.0 points in his last four games. "We have a long road ahead, a lot of games, a lot of battles. With Derrick back we have to play hungry. When we play hungry, we're tough to beat."

Anthony has 43, Knicks top Bulls in Rose's return

By BRIAN MAHONEY
Posted Apr 08 2012 6:01PM

NEW YORK (AP) Carmelo Anthony called it a statement game, and the message should be clear for the Chicago Bulls.

If they do meet in the playoffs, the Bulls better finish off Anthony and the Knicks when they have the chance.

Anthony scored 43 points, his most since coming to New York last February, and made the go-ahead 3-pointer with 8.2 seconds left in overtime as the Knicks spoiled the return to the lineup for a rusty Derrick Rose and beat the Bulls 100-99 on Sunday.

Anthony tied it with a 3 late in regulation and scored the final five points of overtime in his signature performance since coming to New York last February. He only had the chance to pull it out because the Bulls missed four straight free throws in the final 34 seconds of regulation.

"This was a playoff game. We have a chance, we might play these guys in the playoffs if we keep doing what we're doing and get that seed, so this was a big statement game for us and we willed this one tonight," Anthony said.

It had the look and sound of a playoff game in the tense final minutes at a frenzied Madison Square Garden. The loudest roars went to Anthony, who screamed "This is my house!" after the second 3-pointer in a place where he heard boos just last month.

He said Sunday's big basket was one of the best of his career.

"This was one of the top," he said. "Overtime, Easter Sunday, everybody's watching, everybody's in the Garden, so this ranks as one of the top."

The Bulls trailed by 21 in the first quarter, fought back to lead by 10 in the fourth, then lost for the third time in four games despite having their starting five together for only the 11th time this season. Their NBA-best record fell to 43-14.

Rose scored 29 points after missing the previous 12 games with a strained right groin, but he shot only 8 of 26 from the field and missed a pair of free throws with 19 seconds left in regulation and the Bulls ahead by three.

"It's tough. It was definitely tough," Rose said. "When you lose a game, especially for us, it's tough. It's going to hurt us no matter who we lose to, but that team played great, man. They were knocking down shots. Didn't give up when we went up that big lead. They kept fighting."

The Knicks increased their lead over Milwaukee to one game for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They travel to Chicago on Tuesday, visit Milwaukee on Wednesday, and close a difficult week by hosting Miami next Sunday.

"I was proud of my teammates the way we stuck in there," center Tyson Chandler said. "That's a great team that we faced today. We knew they would battle back. You know, a lot of ups and downs in the game, but the one thing we did was keep our composure, kept believing in each other and we were able to will through to win."

Iman Shumpert scored 15 points and JR Smith had 14 despite 6-of-22 shooting for the Knicks, still without the injured Amare Stoudemire and Jeremy Lin but with a sensational effort from Anthony, who made 16 of 31 shots. Chandler grabbed 16 rebounds.

Carlos Boozer had 13 points and 16 boards for the Bulls, who fell to 9-2 with their regular starting five. Rose committed eight of Chicago's 20 turnovers.

Rose had only seven points on 1-of-6 shooting in the first half, then scored 14 in the third quarter. After trailing the entire game, Chicago finally took its first lead in the final minute of the period, later going ahead 89-80 on Rose's four-point play with 5:04 remaining in the fourth.

The Knicks were down 10 before Smith made a 3-pointer - his fourth basket in 21 attempts - and Anthony scored four in a row to make it 91-88. Luol Deng missed two free throws with 34 seconds left, and after Steve Novak's potential tying 3-point attempt went all around the rim before coming out, Rose missed a pair from the line with 19 seconds to go.

Anthony rushed up the floor and pulled up for a long 3 that tied it at 91 with 11 seconds remaining, and it went to overtime when Rose missed everything on a jumper.

Chicago took a pair of four-point leads on baskets by Rose, but was shut out after his jumper with 2:51 remaining. Anthony gave the Knicks a 100-99 lead with 8.2 seconds remaining and the Bulls had trouble getting into their offense on the final possession, with Rose forced to shoot and miss a tough runner as time expired.

Chicago hadn't had its regular five of Rose, Richard Hamilton, Boozer, Deng and Joakim Noah together since March 5 against Indiana. Hamilton left that game in the opening minutes with an injured right shoulder and only recently returned with his minutes closely monitored, and Rose was hurt a week later in a victory over the Knicks.

Their lack of cohesion was obvious early. Chicago missed 11 of its first 12 shots and perhaps let the struggles affect its usual rock-solid defense. The Knicks started 12 of 16 from the floor, building a 27-6 lead when Shumpert converted a three-point play with 3:30 remaining in the period.

"We should be able to overcome all of that stuff," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "You just have to do the right things. We do the right things, you're not going to have those problems. You're not going to have those turnovers. Simple plays: Protect the ball, keep the ball moving, quick decisions, hit the first open man, sustain your spacing, protect the ball, tuck it on the catch, fight for your space, get your space. Simple."

The Bulls trailed 53-45 at even though Rose and Hamilton shot 2 of 11 and All-Star Deng was 3 of 10 while Anthony repeatedly beat him on his way to 22 points.

NOTES: Lin said before the game he was feeling good after surgery on his left knee Monday but didn't think he could return in time for the first round of the playoffs. ... The Knicks hired former Knicks forward Larry Johnson as a basketball and business operations representative on Sunday. Johnson, who played with the Knicks from 1996-01 and converted a memorable four-point play in the 1999 Eastern Conference finals against Indiana, will focus on player development and be involved in numerous business initiatives. ... Jared Jeffries returned for the Knicks after missing eight games with a sore right knee.

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Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Briancmahoney

Notebook: Knicks 100, Bulls 99

Posted Sunday April 8, 2012 4:41PM

By Adam Zagoria, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: Carmelo Anthony scored a season-high 43 points, including a game-winning 3-pointer with 8.2 seconds remaining in overtime and a game-tying 3-pointer at the end of regulation, as the Knicks held off the Chicago Bulls, 100-99, at Madison Square Garden.

In his first game back after missing a dozen with a groin injury, reigning league MVP Derrick Rose scored 22 of his team-best 29 points in the second half for the Bulls, but failed to convert a short jumper in the final seconds that would have won the game.

The Bulls erased a 21-point first-half deficit to go ahead late in the third period. They led until Anthony hit a 3-pointer from several feet behind the line to tie it at 91 with 11.2 seconds left in regulation.

The Bulls missed all four foul shots they took in final 34 seconds of regulation, and the Knicks outscored them 9-8 in the extra period.

In a potential first-round playoff preview, the teams meet again Tuesday night in Chicago, before the Knicks visit the Bucks on Wednesday.

QUOTABLE: "It was a great atmosphere. That's how the Garden's supposed to be. This was a playoff game. We might play these guys in the playoffs if we keep doing what we're doing and get that seed. So this is a big statement game for us and we willed this win today."
-- Anthony on ABC.

THE STAT: After announcing Saturday he planned to come back from the groin injury against the Knicks, Rose was 1-for-6 with seven points in the first half and 7-for-20 with 22 in the second.

TURNING POINT: With the Knicks trailing 91-86, Anthony took the game over down the stretch, driving to the basket for a layup that made it 91-88. After Steve Novak's 3-pointer rimmed in and out, Anthony stepped back and drained the game-tying 3 to force the extra period. He then scored five points in the OT

QUOTABLE II: "It was just a battle until Melo was able to break lose and make the biggest play of the night when he hit the 3 that put us up one."
-- Knicks coach Mike Woodson

WHO'S HOT: Anthony seems to be thriving under Woodson, the interim coach. He entered this game averaging 27.6 points and 7.2 rebounds in his last five games. By halftime against the Bulls, he had 22 points on 8-for-14 shooting and four assists. He finished 16-for-31.

WHO'S NOT: The Knicks bench went just 9-for 35, with J.R. Smith struggling with a 6-for-22 shooting night that resulted in 14 points. As a team, the Knicks went 8-for-34 from beyond the arc, including Smith's 2-for-11.

QUOTABLE III: "I tried to use it as a positive atmosphere, a playoff game, knowing that we gotta play them back-to-back and there's a chance we could play them in the first round....We've got them again in a couple of days at their place and I'm sure they'll be fired up and ready to go...I'm just anxious to see how we meet the challenge when we get to Chicago."
-- Woodson

NOTABLE: Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin said he's "cautiously optimistic" about returning this season from a torn meniscus, but would likely miss the first round of the playoffs beginning April 28. "I think if something goes really well, but I probably wouldn't be able to get there," he said. "It depends on how far it goes....We're doing everything to get me back as soon as possible." Lin said he's not concerned about the Knicks potentially adding Steve Nash in the offseason. "I can't worry about that stuff," he said. "It happened a lot last year too, worrying about getting cut?

QUOTABLE IV: "You can't guard that kid one-on-one. I think he's the best point guard in the league."
-- Woodson on Rose

INSIDE THE ARENA: Actor Kevin James sat courtside.

UP NEXT: For the Knicks, Tuesday @ Bulls, Wednesday @ Bucks, Friday vs. Wizards. For the Bulls, Tuesday vs. Knicks, Thursday vs. Heat, Sunday at Pistons.

• Bulls: Scalabrine
• Knicks: Lin, Stoudemire

• Bulls: Watson
• Knicks: Chandler, Shumpert

• Lead Changes: 4
• Times Tied: 4

• Arena: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
• Officials: #24 Mike Callahan, #75 Eric Dalen, #33 Zach Zarba
• Attendance: 19763
• Duration: 2:53