Derrick Rose took over scoring duties late in the game to ensure the surging Chicago Bulls held off the New York Knicks to record a 105-102 victory at Madison Square Garden on Thursday.
The Knicks (8-14) rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit to tie game at 75-75 late in the third quarter before the reigning MVP took matters into his own hands with 15 points in the fourth quarter.
“I really wasn’t forcing it,” Rose told reporters. “I’m always put in that position, where I’m one of the leaders in the fourth quarter. My teammates have confidence in me to take over the game in the fourth quarter and that’s all I do is try.”
Photo: EPA
New York twice trimmed the lead to one point in the fourth quarter, but failed to get on level terms.
Amar’e Stoudemire missed a three-point attempt with 11 seconds remaining that would have tied the game and Carmelo Anthony’s effort from a similar distance as time expired hit the front of the rim.
“I knew we had a lot of time left,” Stoudemire said of his attempt. “Coach explained if I’m open, shoot it. I was open. Joakim [Noah] contested it. We played hard, played well. We had a chance to win.”
Rose led the Bulls with 32 points and 13 assists, while Carlos Boozer and Kyle Korver each added 16 points as the Bulls improved their East-leading record to 19-6.
Anthony sparked New York’s charge with 12 of his 26 points coming in the third quarter, while his Knicks teammate Stoudemire led all scorers with 34 points and 11 rebounds.
The Bulls forged a 55-44 halftime lead, outscoring New York 22-11 to close the first half and converting 11 turnovers in the second quarter into 15 points.
GRIZZLIES 96, HAWKS 77
In Atlanta, Georgia, the Grizzlies’ Rudy Gay scored 21 points to lead five Memphis players in double figures in a win over a listless Atlanta on Thursday that prevented the Hawks going clear top of the Southeast Division.
The Grizzlies pulled away late in the first half, closing on an 18-7 run that gave the visitors a 10-point lead at the break. They extended that advantage in the third quarter as Atlanta missed their first seven shots and turned the ball over three times.
The Hawks were coming off a 4-1 road trip that left them tied with Miami for the Southeast Division lead. However, they looked exhausted in their return home, putting up ugly jumpers, playing pedestrian defense and struggling just to hang on to the ball.
Tony Allen and O.J. Mayo scored 18 apiece for Memphis.
Josh Smith led the Hawks with just 11 points, playing only 19 minutes.
In other games, it was:
‧ Nuggets 112, Clippers 91
‧ Kings 95, Trail Blazers 92
‧ Spurs 93, Hornets 81
‧ Warriors 119, Jazz 101
Manchester United on Tuesday confirmed Michael Carrick as interim manager until the end of the season, tasking him with leading the Red Devils back into the UEFA Champions League. “Having the responsibility to lead Manchester United is an honor,” said Carrick, 44, who won 12 major trophies in his 12-year playing career at United. The former midfielder previously had an unbeaten three-game stint as caretaker boss at Old Trafford in 2021. Carrick then took on his first permanent managerial role at second-tier Middlesbrough in October 2022 and was sacked in June last year after the club finished 10th in the
James Harden on Friday scored 31 points and came up big in overtime to help the Los Angeles Clippers erase a double-digit deficit on the way to a 121-117 NBA victory over the Toronto Raptors. Harden scored 16 points in the fourth quarter and overtime as the Clippers pushed their wining steak to five games despite the absence of star Kawhi Leonard with a sprained right ankle. The Clippers trailed by 11 entering the fourth quarter, but Harden drilled a pair of free-throws with 1:24 left in regulation to tie it and after misses from both teams, they went to
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Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg on Wednesday was ruled out for the second half of their 118-109 loss to the Denver Nuggets after the No. 1 pick sprained his left ankle in the first half. Flagg was called for a foul while defending against Peyton Watson and turned the ankle as he fell to the floor with 6 minutes, 1 second left in the second quarter. Flagg limped to the bench and continued to the locker room, but returned for the final 2 minutes, 35 seconds before the break. The 19-year-old did not come out for the second half before the announcement that
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