Knicks fall to Bulls, losing streak hits 6

BULLS 104
KNICKS 99

Well, at least the Knicks were somewhat competitive this time.

That's saying a lot, considering the lackluster performances that New York has strung together for the past week, but even a solid effort was not enough to derail the streaking Chicago Bulls as Derek Rose led the way with 32 points for Chicago and the Knicks lost their sixth straight game.

Early on it looked as though this game was going to turn into another blowout loss as the Bulls built a 12-5 lead thanks to a three pointer by Rose, and a long range jumper by Carlos Boozer, but the Knicks fought back. Two huge buckets by Tyson Chandler and a long range two by Carmelo Anthony brought the Knicks in front 14-12.

Yet no matter how close the Knicks drew in this game, the Bulls always had an answer, and the two teams jockeyed for the lead throughout the first half ; New York led by a slim 50-48 margin.  The Bulls grabbed full control of this game midway through the third quarter on a Rose three-point jumper to give Chicago a 58-57 lead; that three pointer was the start of an extended 10-3 run by the Bulls to take a 68-61 lead, their largest of the night.

For the rest of the night, the Knicks were playing catchup. Whether it was Amar'e Stoudemire, Anthony or even Jeremy Lin with a basket, Derek Rose, Joakim Noah, or Taj Gibson had an answer to keep Chicago in front.

For his part, Anthony didn't have a bad game. He shot much better than he had in the Knicks previous five losses. He shot 8-of-21 from the field for 21 points. Even Stoudemire contributed 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting, but it was not enough to curtail the might of the Bulls.

Lin, who has watched all of his luster disappear in recent games, was practically invisible on Monday night. He managed 15 points, but it was a quiet 4-for-11 shooting night, as he was out-hustled by Rose's heroics.

The Knicks now head home for a clash with the equally slumping Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, a game the Knicks must win; they are now percentage points behind Milwaukee for the final playoff spot.