Duhon burns former team as Knicks top Bulls 102-98
NEW YORK - Before the game, had the Bulls known it would be up to former teammate Chris Duhon to beat them at the end, they probably would have liked their chances.
But Monday's Martin Luther King Jr. Day matinee at Madison Square Garden became the latest incidence of the Bulls missing what should have been an easy opportunity for a win.
Down by 1 in the final minute, Duhon turned the corner against Kirk Hinrich and Joakim Noah, leaned in and banked a shot high off the glass to put the New York Knicks ahead with 31.2 seconds left.
Derrick Rose missed a driving attempt on the other end and the Knicks (16-24) added free throws to secure a 102-98 win. Add New York to the list of unlikely and disappointing Bulls' losses, joining Charlotte on Dec. 16 and Oklahoma City on Jan. 10. Even an average team performance would have brought easy wins in those games, but the Bulls couldn't deliver.
"Yeah, it's frustrating. It's a habit almost," guard Ben Gordon said. "We do everything to just stay in the game and then, when the game's on the line, we're just not coming through with the plays we need."
One of the Bulls' many problems was ice-cold shooting from Gordon (3-for-15) and Andres Nocioni (1-for-9). Gordon is renowned for playing well at the Garden, but the Mount Vernon, N.Y. native couldn't convert several wide-open 3-point attempts.
The Bulls (18-24) scored 98 points and shot 42.6 percent from the field against one of the NBA's worst defensive teams.
"We didn't shoot the ball well enough tonight against a team that gives up a high field-goal percentage," coach Vinny Del Negro said. "Not converting around the basket was costly."
Early in the game, the Bulls got caught up in the Knicks' "score and hope they miss" style of play. By hitting 10 of its first 14 shots in the second quarter, New York jumped to a 54-41 advantage.
The Bulls trailed by 9 in the third quarter and were down 91-85 with 7:25 remaining before taking control of the game - almost.
The Bulls went ahead 97-94 after Rose (20 points, 8 assists) hit consecutive jumpers. But New York's Quentin Richardson tied the score with a 3-pointer after the Bulls couldn't corral a loose ball.
Hinrich put the Bulls ahead by hitting 1 of 2 free throws at the 1:10 mark. They got the ball back with the 1-point lead, but Hinrich missed an open 3-pointer, then Tyrus Thomas (19 points) couldn't finish a lay in after grabbing the offensive rebound.
David Lee fell at Thomas' feet as he put the shot up, but one dribble would have put Thomas in position for a dunk or foul. Del Negro nearly stomped a hole in the floor when Thomas' shot rolled off. Those misses set the stage for Duhon's go-ahead drive.
"Yeah, if feels good, especially because this was a game we needed," Duhon said. "This is a huge game for us."
Once Duhon put New York ahead, Rose drove to the basket, but missed against good defensive pressure from 6-foot-11 Jared Jeffries.
"That was a good professional play," Rose said. "He made me change my shot. I've got to throw the ball back out and get us a better shot at the end or play better defense."
Duhon added 2 free throws with 22.8 seconds left to make it 101-98 and Gordon ended the suspense by forcing up a 3-point shot that missed the rim by a mile with Lee's hand in his face.
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