Game 2 of 82: New York Knicks v Chicago Bulls (Review)

Game 2 of 82            NY Knicks v Chicago Bulls             Prediction- Score: 106-97

Post-Game Story            Actual- Score: 82-81

By Malcolm MerrittFollow on Instagram & Twitter: @mjdaddy323

After all the missed shots by both squads, Derrick Rose (1) made the shot that truly mattered. 

It was Halloween night and the Knicks played in a defensive slug-fest. There was no trickery. There were no treats. The Bulls simply gave the Knicks what they give every other team: grit, tenacity, and the will to win. Under Coach Tom Thibodeau, Chicago has averaged 96 points per game ranking 22^nd in the league over the last three seasons. But on the defensive end, they have only allowed 90.7 points per game, the second best in the NBA. The Bulls continued this trend as they evened up the Knicks record as well as their own, hanging on for an 82-81 victory at home. The New York Knicks shot 36% from the field and 37.8% form 3-point range. The Bulls shot 40.8% from the field and 18.8% from beyond the arc. Both teams made the same amount of field goals.

In his home opener, Derrick Rose continued his struggles. His shooting was spotty at best. His status for the game was uncertain due to neck soreness, as he sat out of the team shoot-around earlier that day. He confronted the media and vowed to play. He walked out of the locker room with tape on the back of his neck as the fans at the United Center screamed “M-V-P! M-V-P!” He shot 7 for 23 from the field but made the most important shot of the game. With 5 seconds left on the clock, Derrick Rose drove the lane on the right side and extended his arm upward. He pushed the ball over the outstretched arms of Raymond Felton and Tyson Chandler, with the ball dropping silently into the net. The anticipation in the United Center built up and then exploded as it seemed like their Derrick Rose was back in action. The Knicks immediately called a time-out as everyone who was tuned into TNT and in the United Center itself, saw the beginning of the re-emergence of a superstar.

Chicago also had a host of assistance from the rest of the team. Three players in the game shot 50% or better, two of them on the Bulls. Carlos Boozer continued his success from his previous outing, shooting 5 for 7, accumulating 14 points and 7 rebounds. Luol Deng shot 8 for 15 for 17 points, 3 rebounds and 6 assists. The Bulls were -3 in turnovers as they created 15 against the Knicks.

Carmelo Anthony led all scorers with 22 points. He was once again cold throughout the second half and in the final moments of the fourth, heated up as the Knicks rallied back from an 11-point deficit. Coach Mike Woodson put the ball in his star-player’s hands for the potential game-winning shot. Anthony bricked the final shot as Tyson Chandler tried to tip it in with another one of his 19 rebounds (8 offensive). Chandler continued his defensive dominance with 4 more blocks and a steal. Chandler’s defensive intensity rubbed off on other players in the Knickerbockers’ lineup. 5 of the Knicks 10 players who received playing time had at least one steal (Carmelo leading the way with 6). 4 of those 10 also recorded at least one block.

Hardaway Jr.  had a substantial increase in his playing time after his Knicks’ debut. He tried to use it to the best of his ability but was unaccustomed to the stifling Bulls defense that Coach Tom Thibodeau has been known for. He finished with 10 points and 3 rebounds. Metta World Peace was also affected by the defense, shooting 3 for 11. New York made starting lineup adjustments for this matchup as well, replacing guard Pablo Prigioni with forward Andrea Bargnani. Bargnani had a much better performance than he did in his previous outing, shooting 4 for 7, extending the Bulls defense with his three-point stroke.

A bright spot was the return of Amar’e Stoudemire. He had 5 points (2 for 3 shooting, though he showed obvious signs of unfamiliarity with the speed of NBA game play with a poor defensive outing. He accumulated 4 fouls in 11 minutes. Also, Mike Woodson’s game plan of size versus speed was shown as he strayed away from his original alternating tactic, and let Kenyon Martin (who played 4 minutes) and Amar’e Stoudemire play in the same game.

The key factors of the game were the battle in the paint between Tyson Chandler and Joakim Noah, and free throws. Tyson Chandler and Joakim Noah got tied up several times in a battle that mirrored that of an offensive lineman against a defensive lineman. Chandler was able to out-rebound, out-block, and outscore the Bulls agile center as they both played 36 minutes. This allowed the Knicks to come back the way they did in the fourth.

With the game being decided by one point, free throws served to be pivotal in this game. An example of this is Tyson Chandler’s missed free throw late in the game, which would have made the game tied. The Knicks had eight more fouls than the Bulls and consequently shot less free throws. The Bulls only missed 2 throughout the game while New York missed 5.

New York (1-1) gets it first break of the season as it takes 2 days off before playing the Minnesota Timberwolves (2-0) on Sunday November 3^rd, 2013 at 7:30 PM ET. Catch the game on Fox Sports-North (FSN) or MSG Network. This will be the first of two match-ups between the two teams. The Knicks hold home court advantage for this game. The Timberwolves are coming off an OT win against a young Orlando Magic (120-115) team and a blowout against the Westbrook-less Thunder (100-81).