New York Knicks Overcome Adversity in Moral Victory Over Chicago

The New York Knicks secured a comfortable victory over the Chicago Bulls. It was a moral victory for the fans of the Knicks from the 1990s.

It’s difficult for a team that once had playoff hopes and aspirations to accept that the season is over. It’s been a long one. The Knicks are finishing without Derrick Rose. Lance Thomas is unable to stay healthy and Kristaps Porzingis sat for the night.

It came as a shock to see Maurice Ndour make the starting lineup over Mindaugas Kuzminskas. It was an interesting night for a moral victory indeed.

For those who need to catch up, the Knicks haven’t found a way to play defense consistently this season. This one became joyous to watch, leading by double-digits for a majority of the game.

However, the Chicago Bulls lost by just nine points to make the game appear closer than it was.

First Half

The game began with Jimmy Butler in his familiar form: scoring fast and early. The Knicks answered with hustle and great shot selection. Carmelo Anthony being in the game may have angered some fans who were hoping for more ping-pong balls.

But he has something to play for and so does the rest of the team. Scoring 23 points on the night and leading the team, Anthony and the Knicks put their foot on the gas pedal in the second quarter.

Ron Baker, as many fans had hoped, came out and thrived. He facilitated the offense pretty well, no matter who was on the court. He committed four turnovers on the night, including dribbling the ball off his own foot.

There was some sloppy play, but it never proved to be consequential.

It feels awkward to watch the Knicks play this well as a team—without Rose. You almost forgot KP didn’t play at all in this one.

This wasn’t accomplished against a garbage team in garbage time. The Knicks easily beat the playoff-contending Bulls, which needed this win.

• Out-rebounded the Bulls, 53-36.
• The biggest lead for the Knicks was 24. The biggest lead for the Bulls was four.
• New York held on to the lead the entire game after they took it halfway through the first quarter.
• Six Knicks shot over 50 percent (6 FGA minimum).
• The Knicks had 7 blocks. Kyle O’ Quinn had five of them.
• Five Knicks finished with 10-plus points.

Pride and Urgency

Not much is to be taken seriously from the end of season. A win is a win, but for the Knicks, this was nothing more than a moral victory. After all, they aren’t the ones tied for the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Knicks have no chance at the playoffs. Thankfully, Ron Baker is making the case that he can be the real deal during the rough times in New York.

It should also be argued that the Knicks need depth at forward with routinely Lance Thomas out due to injury. Justin Holiday and Courtney Lee held their own and played with urgency.

• The Knicks dunked on the Bulls in dominant form.
• Mindaugas Kuzminskas had two late dunks in the game that show how dominant he can be inside.
• Justin Holiday deserved more than 21 minutes of action, but performed as efficiently as you could ask for off the bench.
• Maurice Ndour recorded a double-double in his first career start. 13 points and 12 rebounds.

The 30-48 New York Knicks will host the 47-31 Washington Wizards on Thursday night.

Must Read: Should Kristaps Porzingis be the featured star?

Once again, the New York Knicks look to break a curse and win their first back-to-back games of 2017.