Porzingis' 27 lead balanced Knicks past Bulls
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[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."
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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.
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![](../images/110516pics/sports63.jpg)
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
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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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