The New York Knicks lost their sixth straight game Monday night, falling to the Chicago Bulls 104-99. The Knicks hung tough through three quarters, heading into the fourth down one point. Derrick Rose was too strong down the stretch, however, scoring 10 of his 32 points in the game's final stanza and dishing out seven assists.
The Bulls went on an 8-2 run inside the 5-minute mark to effectively put the game out of reach for the with the help of effective defense. New York shot 46.3 percent from the floor, but needed to be much more efficient to overcome a 56-38 rebounding advantage for the Bulls. Tyson Chandler and Carmelo Anthony had 10 and eight boards, respectively, but got little help from their teammates. Taj Gibson and Joakim Noah combined for 23 boards on their own.
Anthony led the Knicks with 21 points, but needed 8-for-21 shooting from the floor to get there. Amare Stoudemire scored his 20 points more efficiently, but added just three rebounds. Jeremy Lin was abused, as many are, by Derrick Rose. He ran the offense well for the most part, however, with 15 points and eight assists to three turnovers.
The Knicks dropped to ninth place in the Eastern Conference after the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the New Jersey Nets on Monday. New York closes out the week with home games against the Portland Trail Blazers and the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday and Friday, respectively.
For more Knicks coverage, be sure to check out our blog Posting and Toasting and SB Nation New York. For more on the Bulls, stay tuned to Blog a Bull.