1. Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah (and Carmelo Anthony) led the way for the Knicks
Is it really surprising that Rose and Noah had good games against the Bulls? It shouldn’t come as that much of a surprise, especially with two rotation players out for the Bulls, including their most important and best player on the roster being back in Chicago with the flu.
Rose had a nice 15-point first half, getting into the lane seemingly whenever he wanted. When Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade are your own two obstacles in getting to the basket for a bucket, your chances of scoring are fairly high at this point.
Noah dominated the window for the Knicks, registering 15 rebounds, including nine on the offensive glass. His offense is still just tipping in a missed shot at this point, but he provided some good energy for the Knicks throughout the night.
Rose finished with 17 points, four rebounds and three assists, while Noah had a double-double of 12 points and 15 rebounds, rounded out by Carmelo Anthony’s 23 points, nine rebounds and … six assists? Is that box score accurate? Are we sure?