Bulls Vs. Knicks, NBA Christmas Day: Stingy Fourth-Quarter Defense Leads New York To 103-95 Win

In a game featuring a lot of offense, it was defense that won the game for the New York Knicks in the Christmas Day opener against the Chicago Bulls. The Knicks held the Bulls without a point for over eight minutes in the fourth quarter, pulling away for a 103-95 win.

With 10 minutes and 10 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Derrick Rose hit an 18-foot jump shot to tie the game at 87. Over the next eight minutes and 18 seconds, the Knicks outscored the Bulls 10-0 to take control of the game. The Bulls missed 12 straight field goal attempts, committed four turnovers and missed two free throws during that stretch. Finally, Carlos Boozer hit a short hook shot in the lane with 1:52 remaining, but it was far too little too late. The Bulls cut the lead to six points with 1:23 remaining and got the ball back with a chance to cut it down further, but Rose’s pass to Kurt Thomas went out of bounds, and Wilson Chandler sealed the game with a driving layup with 30.9 seconds left.

The Knicks had their issues in the fourth quarter, but were too good defensively for it to matter. Raymond Felton helped put the game away with a couple big plays, as he finished with 20 points, 12 assists and five steals. All five Knicks starters scored in double figures in a balanced effort. Rose led Chicago with 25 points, but only two came in the fourth quarter. Carlos Boozer led the way with 26 points and 19 rebounds, but didn’t get the ball enough down the stretch.

The Knicks now move to 18-12 on the season, while the Bulls fall to 18-10