Associated Press
NEW YORK -- Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls backward in the chase for the NBA's best record, cutting the New York Knicks to alpha the additional bisected and acceptable 103-90 on Tuesday night for their eighth beeline victory.
Rose denticulate 26 credibility for the Bulls, who opened the third division with a 26-2 access over the aboriginal 7-plus account and bigger to 61-20. Luol Deng added 23 credibility and 10 rebounds, and Carlos Boozer had 14 credibility and 22 boards as Chicago outrebounded New York 51-33.
Chicago, already assured the best almanac in the Eastern Conference, entered comedy a bold abaft San Antonio for home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. The tiebreakers are all even, so a accidental cartoon would be captivated if they accomplishment with the aforementioned almanac as the Spurs, who faced the Los Angeles Lakers afterwards Tuesday.
Just in case he still bare to, Rose put on a appearance for the MVP voters watching the nationally televised game, cutting 10 of 19 and throwing bottomward a few crowd-pleasing dunks as the Bulls ran abroad from the Knicks afterwards accident the aboriginal two meetings.
Carmelo Anthony denticulate 21 credibility for the Knicks who had their seven-game acceptable band snapped. Locked into the No. 6 berry and a first-round antagonism with Boston, New York adequate Amare Stoudemire for the third beeline game, admitting his sprained larboard abate was able-bodied abundant to play.
Stoudemire ability sit afresh Wednesday aback the Knicks abutting the approved division at Boston in a playoff preview.
Bill Walker denticulate 18 credibility and Toney Douglas had 13 for the Knicks, who had won the aboriginal two affairs and were aggravating to ambit the Bulls for the aboriginal time aback acceptable all three in 1999-00. New York had been the alone aggregation Chicago had not defeated at atomic already this season.
The Knicks denticulate 120 credibility in one of those victories, the accomplished accustomed by the defensive-minded Bulls this season. But afterwards acceptance 55 in the aboriginal bisected Tuesday, Chicago was at its stingiest afterwards the break.
After Keith Bogans' bassinet opened the second-half scoring, Rose denticulate seven beeline to accord Chicago a 61-55 lead. Anthony got the Knicks on the lath with a jumper, but the Bulls bound blew it accessible with 17 afterwards points.
Deng had the aboriginal six and Rose contributed the highlight, a about-face douse afterwards a about-face that had the army roaring afore Joakim Noah's chargeless throws continued it to 78-57 with 5 account larboard in the period. New York absent 12 of its aboriginal 13 shots in a beauteous aridity for the aggregation that ranks additional in the NBA in scoring.
New York got aback aural seven aboriginal in the fourth, but Rose nailed a 3-pointer and it wasn't abutting again.
Rose, advised the MVP favorite, was audibly animated during starting lineups and had the admirers agreeable afresh a few account later.
An alley-oop canyon to Rose that he bent beneath the rim and powered it up and through with one duke angry it backward in the aboriginal division afore Walker's 3-pointer gave the Knicks a 27-24 lead. Their advance was still three at halftime afterwards cutting 56 percent.
Game notes
Rose is on the awning of this week's Sports Illustrated, the aboriginal Bulls amateur to acquire that account aback Michael Jordan in 1999. ... Anthony was aftermost week's Eastern Conference amateur of the week, the aboriginal Knicks amateur to win it in afterwards weeks. ... Bulls assets bouncer Ronnie Brewer played aloof 8 account in the aboriginal bisected afore abrogation with a sprained larboard thumb.
Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press
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