Game Thread: New York Knicks vs Chicago Bulls 8:00 pm 4/4/2017 [Game#78]

NEW YORK -- The Chicago Bulls are surging back into the Eastern Conference playoff picture just in time to face a favorable schedule.

Chicago will play the first of its five remaining games against non-playoff teams Tuesday night when it visits the New York Knicks.

The Bulls (38-39) are on a four-game winning streak and are 7-4 in their last 11 games since dropping five straight from March 4-12. The surge has moved the Bulls into seventh place in the East and two games behind the fifth-place Milwaukee Bucks.

After facing the Knicks, Chicago visits Philadelphia and Brooklyn before returning for home games against Orlando and Brooklyn.

"We just continue to talk about this with our team -- we'll just worry about ourselves," Chicago coach Fred Hoiberg. "Every day we have to get in the gym, get in the film room, continue to learn and continue to make positive strides forward as a basketball team."

Jimmy Butler is coming off two straight 30-plus point performances. He was named Player of the Week in the Eastern Conference on Monday. He averaged 32.5 points (second in the East) and 6.0 assists in three games.

In Sunday's 117-110 win at New Orleans, Butler scored 25 of his game-high 39 points in the first half and logging a team-high 39 minutes. He did so after scoring 25 points in the second half of a two-point win over Atlanta on Saturday.

"Yeah, I'm dialed in," Butler said. "I think I'm rolling and playing well and doing what my team needs me to do, and we're winning, so at the end of the day, that's all that matters."
Chicago is peaking at the right time.

Rajon Rondo has performed well since filling in for Dwyane Wade, who is out with a dislocated elbow. In the nine games without Wade, he is averaging 11.6 points, 8.4 assists and 6.1 rebounds. The Bulls are averaging 108.6 points in Wade's absence, compared to 101.8 points before his injury.

The Knicks (29-48) will be playing their third game since officially being eliminated from postseason contention Wednesday. The Knicks are coming off an 110-94 loss to the Boston Celtics Sunday.

Carmelo Anthony did not play as he missed a second straight game with a sore back. He plans to return Tuesday but spent Monday talking about his future, which might with another team after he meets with management next week.

"The chips will be on the table," Anthony told reporters Monday. "The chips will be on the table in that meeting. I mean I don't know what to expect but I've got a good feeling. Chips will be on the table."
The Knicks will be without former Bulls Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah.

Rose was shut down last week after finding out he needs surgery to repair a torn meniscus. He averaged 18 points and 4.4 assists in 64 games, two less than he played last season with the Bulls, who traded him in June for Robin Lopez and Jerian Grant.

"I feel bad for him (Rose)," Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis said. "I know hard he worked throughout the season to maintain the shape that he has and makes sure he avoids all those injuries as much as he can. To see that happen to him right now at the end of the season is tough.

Noah, a free agent signing, was more of a disappointment and is serving the fourth contest of a 20-game suspension for using a banned substance. The New York City native couldn't stay healthy, appearing in only 46 games, averaging five points and 8.7 rebounds.

Rose and Noah were in the starting lineup together for just 39 games and none since Jan. 27.

Since the 2000-01 season, the Knicks have won just one playoff series, which is tied with the New Orleans Pelicans for the fewest among any NBA franchise.

New York has won the first two meetings with Chicago. The Knicks recorded a 117-104 win in Chicago on Nov. 4 and posted a 104-89 win Jan. 12 in New York.

(cbssports.com)

holy cow.... I haven't seen so many white boys playing basketball since.... I cant remember when.... maybe Princeton 1960.....

Better take Sasha's pic down. Melo is playing. I would think after two days of sitting he's going to come out on fire and try to win this game.

Yep tank lineup on again no use watching....Sports radio around here didnt even want to cover the Bulls/Knicks tonight and now I see why...

roLo!
oh wait a second.... i forgot :smokin:

Wow the Bullies are playing worse than the Knicks. I can't believe it

Knicks putting it on the Bullies. Holding the Bulls to 29 points a 20 ptlead now with about 4 mins left in the 2nd. Melo is back but KP out with a back injury.

Knicks go into the locker room with a 54-40 lead. Pretty disappointing game so far for the Bulls playing for something but getting whipped by the Knicks playing w/o KP and Rose.

tiger0330 said:

Better take Sasha's pic down. Melo is playing. I would think after two days of sitting he's going to come out on fire and try to win this game.

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Melo 10 pts on 5-9 shooting but the Knicks bench has been a factor.

No tank tonight, 67-46 lead by the Knicks 6 minutes left in the 3rd. Melo just made a 3 from Brooklyn, Bulls can't get any 50-50 balls, Knicks stole the ball while Rondo was tying his shoe. I'm predicting a Knicks win in the 3rd

Little late in the season but the Knicks start the 4th with a trap on Butler in the corner forcing him to call a timeout. Aggressive D they should have been playing all season.

tiger0330 said:

Little late in the season but the Knicks start the 4th with a trap on Butler in the corner forcing him to call a timeout. Aggressive D they should have been playing all season.

Click to expand...

well of course they're going to start playing aggressive D now. vegas has nothing to worry about! there's no way the knicks can go over their projection now.
i'll bet vegas made a KILLING on all those fans who thought the knicks were SURE to win more than 38.5 games :smokin:

lol my knicks trying to give the game away!
let's go #knickstank!

Philly, the king of tankers, knows what's best for their future. They allow Nets to score 81 in the first half... game in PHI!!!

(NBa should punish PHI.... shouldn't be allowed to live in lottery year after year.... next CBA must state that you get 2 years in lottery, then next year you go to back of line.... draft 14th).

76ers and Magic lose.... NYK win.... basically, it's down to Knicks and Kings for the 6-7 spots.

Melo 9-25 for 23 but some of his makes stopped Bulls runs. Ndour with a double double, Quinn 5 blocks. 33 pts by the Knicks bench. We sweep the Bulls in the season series.

another season where the knick talk is not the playoffs.... but how can we tank for a better lottery pick... I just mite have to become a fan of water-polo...

Miss game .. watch highlights of a unselfish Knicks team pushing the ball to score on several fast-break baskets plus playing pressure defense throughout 4 quarters for a Knicks win by having DNP the teams no-defensive effort ball-stopper players Rose KP Thomas (but Lazy Melo played hitting 9 out of 25 shots).
The Knicks showed promise by moving the ball and not playing a 48 minute isolation-offense by letting 3 players touch the ball before shooting. The Knicks offensive performance had more confidence in teammates than it showed throughout the season. Certain players showed they still need work on getting rid of the isolation-offense system Lee HGM Baker.

N'Dour first game as a starter played a winning 2-way b.ball performance from tip-off to the final buzzer something KP hasn't done once for two seasons as a Knicks starter. KP need to learn how to play winning b.ball on both side of the court instead of being a 7.3 perimeter ball-stopper.

HGM had a better b.ball IQ as a strong-forward hustling in the paint early in the season, now HGM has become a sissy on the perimeter ready to shoot a jumpshot as soon as u pass him the ball.

Great Knicks WIN !!!