The New York Knicks tried to ruin Derrick Rose's homecoming, but the Chicago Bulls' superstar would have none of it. The former MVP nailed a floater with a little more than five seconds remaining, and Chicago snuck away with an 82-81 win on Thursday.
Derrick Rose leads Bulls over Knicks, 82-81
The Knicks’ comeback fell short after Carmelo Anthony missed a possible game-winner.
Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Spor
The fourth quarter of this game was far more interesting than the rest of it. Chicago was in control through three quarters, taking a 71-61 lead into the final frame. Then the drama began.
The Knicks outscored the Bulls, 20-11, over the final 12 minutes, but Rose shook off a miserable shooting performance to save the day in his regular-season return to Chicago. The point guard is clearly still shaking off the rust from ACL surgery, as his shot fell wayward and uncharacteristic turnovers came at inopportune times.
With that said, after an 18-month absence, it’s difficult to expect him to be in form with only a few preseason games under his belt.
But the Bulls survived, and it was once again because of Tom Thibodeau's smothering defensive scheme. New York shot just 36 percent from the floor and committed 15 turnovers -- only two of which came in the second half -- that led to 13 points for Chicago. Carmelo Anthony (22 points) shot just 8-for-24 from the floor and missed the final shot of the game, a 22-foot pull-up from the left wing.
Rose wasn't any better. The Bulls' point guard was 6-for-22 as the final seconds approached, but his high-rise floater from the right baseline fell through to win the game for Chicago. He led the home team with 18 points. Luol Deng added 17 and Joakim Noah grabbed 15 rebounds in the win.
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