Final Score: New York Knicks 86 Chicago Bulls 98
Tonight the Knicks say first hand that the Bulls are tough even without reigning MVP Derrick Rose in the lineup. Rose sat out tonight’s game with a right ankle injury, and quite truthfully the Bulls did not need him. Chicago still played their way of basketball, tough on the defensive end and grind it out, slow pace on the offensive end. The loss tonight was a devastating one for the Knicks, who fall to 29-28 and back into 8th place in the Eastern Conference. They now only have a 1 game lead over the Milwaukee Bucks going into their match up Wednesday night.
-Where’s the Windex at?
The Knicks got hammered on the boards tonight by the Bulls to the tune of being out rebounded 51-33. The difference on the offensive glass was even more nauseating for Knicks fans, as the Bulls held an 18-5 edge there.
The domination for Bulls did not finish there, as they easily out scored the Knicks 25-5 on second chance points and 40-28 in the paint.
When Kyle Korver is rebounding well against you it just is not your night. The Knicks lacked a rebounding presence tonight from anyone not named Tyson Chandler. It is one aspect of the game the Knicks will need to clean up down the end of the season. We know they are undersized and playing through injuries, there just has to be a more concentrated effort on the glass. When the Knicks are able to control the paint and pace, the results are much more positive than tonight.
-Ice Cold Offense
At times throughout the games, the Knicks look like a well oiled machine. Their offense hums like the engine of a sports car and they look unbeatable. They are working together as a unit and are cohesive. Then there are times where they are as cold as the arctic from the field. Tonight had more arctic than sports car.
The Knicks suffered through many of these cold spells tonight. To start the game they went 0-6 from the field and to start the 2nd quarter they missed 10 of their first 11 shot attempts. The bad start in the 2nd quarter led to the Bulls getting the lead back and holding onto it for the remainder of the evening. The 3rd quarter did not go much better, as the Knicks went on a nearly 8 minute span of scoring only 2 baskets. The Bulls do have a very good defense, but the Knicks certainly helped them look the part tonight.
-Batman Needs a Sidekick
Carmelo Anthony has done everything and more on the offensive end since injuries purged the Knicks roster. He scored another 29 points tonight, going 11-19 from the field. It was Melo or bust for the Knicks tonight, and they busted. Anthony did everything he could but could not beat the Bulls for 2 consecutive games by himself. Finding that consistent scorer behind Anthony has been a struggle for the Knicks since Amar’e Stoudemire and Jeremy Lin went down with injuries. There are people who say the Knicks are better off with only one of the superstars, but anyone who seriously believes that is an idiot. The Knicks are much better off with their full allotment of players compared to how they are now.
-Bench Struggling
Is this the real Knicks bench, or just an aberration from how they had been playing in the past weeks? It has been slightly overlooked because of how well Carmelo Anthony has been playing, but it is something to keep an eye on. With all the injuries, some players roles have been changed but the two key players off the bench, Steve Novak and J.R. Smith have hit a lull in their play.
Novak has spoiled us with his shooting prowess since being inserted into the lineup, but has hit a cold spell. He has not hit a 3 pointer in the last 2 games. The shots just are not falling for him because he is still getting open looks, he just can’t get them to go through the basket.
As for J.R. Smith, his numbers look good but taking a deeper look will show you the truth. He is the definition of a streak shooter, and it shows when you take that deeper look. He has good scoring totals for a player off the bench, but does 15 points really sound that good when it is on 14 shot attempts? If J.R. Smith is able to become a more efficient scorer it will not only help the Knicks but help himself in the long run.
The Knicks get back at it tomorrow night with a quick turnaround. They will be playing in Milwaukee against the Bucks in what could be the Knicks most important game of the season. The game starts at 8:00 P.M. ET on ESPN.
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