casper
12-23-2009, 09:29 AM
HARRINGTON, LEE HELP KNICKS HOLD ON FOR WIN OVER BULLS
THE CANADIAN PRESS
New York, NY (Sports Network) - Al Harrington led the way with 20 points off the bench, while David Lee had a monster stat line with 18 points and 21 rebounds, as the New York Knicks held on for an 88-81 victory over Chicago at Madison Square Garden.
"He's worked harder than anybody the last several years. And his defense is better," Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni said.
New York almost pulled a "Chicago" a night after the Bulls saw a 35-point third-quarter lead evaporate into the night in a stunning loss to the Sacramento Kings. The Knicks had a 22-point lead drop to one point at 80-79 on a Joakim Noah jumper with 1:41 on the clock.
The Knicks, however, staved off the furious rally, starting with two Lee free throws off one of his five offensive rebounds, then the Bulls missed two jumpers and turned the ball over in the next 30 seconds.
New York sealed the win on Danilo Gallinari's two free throws with 2.8 seconds left, giving the home team a two-possession edge at 86-81. Gallinari scored 11 points to go along with seven rebounds, Wilson Chandler donated 16 points and Jared Jeffries contributed 10 for the Knicks, who remained perfect in the first three tests of a five-game homestand.
Derrick Rose led all scorers with 26 points, while Luol Deng added 23 points and eight rebounds. Noah totaled a double-double with 10 points and 21 rebounds for the Bulls, who lost for the eighth straight time away from the United Center.
"We can't play just a half of basketball. We are not that good of a team to do that," said Bulls head coach Vinny Del Negro.
The Bulls went roughly four minutes without a field goal early in the first stanza, fell behind 14-4 on a Chris Duhon three-pointer and trailed 22-12 after the first quarter.
The edge grew to 32-15 on back-to-back Larry Hughes buckets in the early stages on the second stanza, and the Knicks ran off the final six points off the first half to take their biggest edge at 53-31.
Chicago made a methodical dent in the deficit during the third quarter, turning a 18-point hole into an 12-point one in the final 4:30 off the period. Rose's three at the horn made the score 68-56.
Two quick jumpers drew the margin under double digits at 68-60, and after the Knicks extended it back to 13, the Bulls responded with a spurt capped by a John Salmons trey and a Rose driving layup for a 77-71 game.
After Harrington's three, Chicago ran off eight in a row capped by Noah's jumper to bring the visitors within one in the final two minutes.
Game Notes
Both teams struggled from the floor, with the Bulls making 40.5 percent of their shots and the Knicks just 40 percent...New York also made only 5-of-27 from beyond the arc...The Bulls held a 48-32 edge in points in the paint...Chicago had won two straight in the series.
THE CANADIAN PRESS
New York, NY (Sports Network) - Al Harrington led the way with 20 points off the bench, while David Lee had a monster stat line with 18 points and 21 rebounds, as the New York Knicks held on for an 88-81 victory over Chicago at Madison Square Garden.
"He's worked harder than anybody the last several years. And his defense is better," Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni said.
New York almost pulled a "Chicago" a night after the Bulls saw a 35-point third-quarter lead evaporate into the night in a stunning loss to the Sacramento Kings. The Knicks had a 22-point lead drop to one point at 80-79 on a Joakim Noah jumper with 1:41 on the clock.
The Knicks, however, staved off the furious rally, starting with two Lee free throws off one of his five offensive rebounds, then the Bulls missed two jumpers and turned the ball over in the next 30 seconds.
New York sealed the win on Danilo Gallinari's two free throws with 2.8 seconds left, giving the home team a two-possession edge at 86-81. Gallinari scored 11 points to go along with seven rebounds, Wilson Chandler donated 16 points and Jared Jeffries contributed 10 for the Knicks, who remained perfect in the first three tests of a five-game homestand.
Derrick Rose led all scorers with 26 points, while Luol Deng added 23 points and eight rebounds. Noah totaled a double-double with 10 points and 21 rebounds for the Bulls, who lost for the eighth straight time away from the United Center.
"We can't play just a half of basketball. We are not that good of a team to do that," said Bulls head coach Vinny Del Negro.
The Bulls went roughly four minutes without a field goal early in the first stanza, fell behind 14-4 on a Chris Duhon three-pointer and trailed 22-12 after the first quarter.
The edge grew to 32-15 on back-to-back Larry Hughes buckets in the early stages on the second stanza, and the Knicks ran off the final six points off the first half to take their biggest edge at 53-31.
Chicago made a methodical dent in the deficit during the third quarter, turning a 18-point hole into an 12-point one in the final 4:30 off the period. Rose's three at the horn made the score 68-56.
Two quick jumpers drew the margin under double digits at 68-60, and after the Knicks extended it back to 13, the Bulls responded with a spurt capped by a John Salmons trey and a Rose driving layup for a 77-71 game.
After Harrington's three, Chicago ran off eight in a row capped by Noah's jumper to bring the visitors within one in the final two minutes.
Game Notes
Both teams struggled from the floor, with the Bulls making 40.5 percent of their shots and the Knicks just 40 percent...New York also made only 5-of-27 from beyond the arc...The Bulls held a 48-32 edge in points in the paint...Chicago had won two straight in the series.