Porzingis' 27 lead balanced Knicks past Bulls

[November 05, 2016]  CHICAGO -- Jeff Hornacek has learned from experience that when his New York Knicks offense becomes too bunched together, its effectiveness is almost non-existent.

But when the spacing is where it needs to be and the ball moves quickly around the floor, the Knicks have enough scorers to make good things happen.

Friday provided plenty of evidence of the latter.

Kristaps Porzingis scored 27 points and all five Knicks starters reached double figures in a 117-104 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Friday night at the United Center.

The Knicks (2-3) opened the fourth quarter with a 10-0 run to break the game open after the Bulls (3-2) erased an early double-figure deficit and led in the third quarter.

Once they build a comfortable advantage after the early spurt in the fourth, the Knicks never took their foot off the gas.

Moving the ball proved to be key as the Knicks registered 32 field goals on 46 field goals. The Knicks also only turned the ball over five times.

"We were sharing the ball a lot and we did a good job of being aggressive tonight," Porzingis said. "We made a lot of good plays for each other. Even though we lost the lead, we still found a way to come back. And that's the kind of basketball we want to be playing."

Carmelo Anthony scored 25 points to go along with 17 points from Courtney Lee for the Knicks, who snapped a two-game skid.

Former Bulls guard Derrick Rose, who returned to the United Center for the first time since being traded in the offseason, finished with 15 points and 11 assists. Joakim Noah, Rose's teammate and former Bulls fan favorite, poured in 16 points and had nine rebounds.

Rose was greeted with a mixture of cheers and jeers, but wasn't fazed by either his homecoming or the reception he received. The Bulls played a video honoring Rose and Noah in the first quarter. But for Rose, the focus was on getting the Knicks back on the right track.

"We have to figure out how to win," Rose said. "We've got a lot of talent on this team and we're just trying to go about staying in the game and finding ways to win."

Dwyane Wade led the Bulls with 35 points and 10 rebounds to go along with 26 points from Jimmy Butler. Wade was 12 of 20 shots from the floor and 4 of 6 from 3-point range.

Nikola Mirotic scored 14 points off the bench for the Bulls, who dropped their second straight game.

The Bulls led 57-56 at halftime after erasing an early 16-point deficit. The Knicks jumped out to a 22-6 lead early behind an 11-0 scoring surge before Wade sparked the comeback effort.

New York Knicks center Joakim Noah (L) and guard Derrick Rose (25) cheer on their team against the Chicago Bulls during the first quarter at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Wade sparked the Bulls from the perimeter as the Bulls responded to the Knicks' fast start. After fighting back, Chicago maintained a lead into third quarter when the Knicks began to build momentum before starting the fourth quarter with the 10 straight points.

Despite fighting back from the sluggish start, the Bulls were unable to match New York's energy throughout the night.

"We let them throw the first punch," Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. "We were retreating on our heels all night long. It's very disappointing."

New York's performance, on the other hand, provided a glimmer of hope.

The Knicks have struggled both offensively and defensively in getting off to a 1-3 start. But after spreading out its offense and getting double-digit contributions from their entire starting lineup, New York got a taste of what things can look like when the Knicks properly execute their offense.

"It feels good to get on the right track and play the kind of basketball we want to," Porzingis said. "This is a first baby step of how we want to play as a team.

"This is something to build on."

NOTES: Knicks G Derrick Rose and C Joakim Noah faced their former team for the first time. Rose said he was surprised to be traded away from his hometown team. "It's a process that sucks, but it comes along with the business," he said. Rose said there is "no bad blood" between himself, his former teammates and the franchise. ... Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek had about 15 family members, including his parents, in attendance for Friday night's game. Hornacek grew up in Chicago's western suburbs. ... C Marshall Plumlee and F Lance Thomas were inactive for New York. ... Bulls G Doug McDermott cleared concussion protocol and returned to the Bulls lineup after missing Wednesday night's game against the Boston Celtics. ...G R.J. Hunter was inactive as was G Michael Carter-Williams, who remains sidelined with a knee injury.

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