NBA Basketball Matchup: Knicks vs Bulls
For the second time in three days the New York Knicks will attempt to hand the Chicago Bulls another loss after Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks to an impressive 100-99 overtime victory over the Bulls on Sunday.
Date/Time: 9:30 PM ET, Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Venue: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
Broadcast: ESPN
Spread: Bulls -8.5
Over/Under: 187.5
A recent coaching shake up and Anthony’s 43 points have bolstered the Knicks playoff hopes, as they have now pulled into a tie with the Philadelphia 76ers for the final two Eastern Conference playoff spots with the Milwaukee Bucks in hot pursuit.
New York is 11-3 since Mike Woodson replaced Mike D’Antoni behind the bench, and Anthony’s 43 points against Chicago were his most since joining the Knicks (29-27), helping him to seemingly shake the media monkey and fan criticism off his back that was following the team before D’Antoni’s resignation.
Add to the mix a host of injuries to key players–forward Amar’e Stoudemire (back) and guard Jeremy Lin (knee)–and Anthony’s recent offensive surge could not have come at a more opportune time.
Anthony is averaging 30.0 points in three games against Chicago this year, but the Bulls had won the first two meetings this season before Sunday.
With Sunday’s loss, the Bulls (43-14) have lost three of four despite having the league’s top record. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
The offense has sputtered in that span, but did get a boost as point guard Derrick Rose returned to the lineup after a 12-game absence.
However, despite Rose’s 29 points in the loss to the Knicks, the reigning MVP was just 8 of 26 from the field and committed a season-high eight turnovers.
Bulls forward Carlos Boozer also made contributions with 16 rebounds against the Knicks for his fifth straight double-digit game on the boards.
This is an important game for both teams, especially New York who will conclude its two-game road swing at Milwaukee on Wednesday in a crucial contest with both teams contending for the final playoff spot.
Free Pick: Bulls–I think the Knicks used home court advantage and extra time to grab their win at the Garden on Sunday. They also faced a Rose that was just getting his groove back after a long absence. It shouldn’t be long into this one before he shows why he was last season’s MVP, as he cranks up the offense against a team he is averaging 31.0 points against this season.
One reply on “New York Knicks vs. Chicago Bulls NBA Preview & Free Pick”
thanks