Bulls 82, Knicks 81
CHICAGO -- He still has it.
Playing his first regular season game at the United Center since suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on April 28, 2012, Derrick Rose scored with 5.7 seconds remaining to send the Chicago Bulls past the New York Knicks 82-81 on Thursday night at the United Center.
Rose drove down the right side of the court and hit a tough, one-handed pull-up from 12 feet over Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton.
Rose finished with 18 points but hit just 7-of-23 shots from the field.
On the last possession of the game, New York's Carmelo Anthony missed a 22-foot jumper and Chandler's tip didn't fall as time expired.
Anthony led the Knicks with 22 points. Luol Deng added 17 points for Chicago and Joakim Noah grabbed 15 rebounds.
After Rose turned the ball over on a drive to the basket, New York took the lead with 10.8 seconds remaining. Anthony missed a jumper and Noah was whistled for a loose ball foul for grabbing Chandler's arm after the ball hit the rim. Chandler, who started his career with the Bulls, made the second of two free throws to put the Knicks ahead 81-80.
In honor of Halloween, the Bulls donned their black uniforms and the Knicks wore orange.
Chicago carried the lead from early in the first quarter but couldn't push it beyond 13 points. New York made up some ground midway through the fourth quarter, using a 12-0 run to take a 78-76 lead with 4:10 left.
The run started with 3-pointers by Tim Hardaway Jr. and Felton, surrounding a jumper by Anthony. Iman Shumpert tied the score when he missed a corner 3-pointer, got hit own rebound and continued for a dunk. Anthony's 14-foot turnaround gave the Knicks their first lead since it was 7-6.
The Bulls tied it on Rose's first free throw of the night with 3:16 left. New York failed to score on a possession that lasted more than one minute. But after saving two offensive rebounds, Chandler was called for a loose ball foul and Noah's free throws put Chicago ahead 80-78 with 2:05 left.
The Bulls forced an Anthony miss, but Rose tried to drive the lane and had the ball stolen by Shumpert. Rose quickly fouled and Shumpert's free throws tied the score with 1:27 left.
Chicago took command late in the first quarter, using a 12-3 run to open a 26-16 advantage after 12 minutes. The Knicks shot just 34.1 percent from the field in the first half but closed within 43-38 at intermission.
After going scoreless in the first half, Knicks newcomer Andrea Bargnani scored nine of New York's first 13 points in the third quarter.
NOTES: Rose had an injury scare heading into Thursday's game, but it had nothing to do with his surgically repaired left knee. He came down with a sore neck after Tuesday's loss in Miami. Rose ended up starting against New York, with medical tape running up the back of his neck and stopping behind the ears. "Just neck soreness, almost like a crook in your neck. But I should be fine," Rose said at the morning shootaround. "My body just has to get used to playing. My knee is good. It's just my neck." ... New York coach Mike Woodson shuffled his lineup, starting the 7-foot Bargnani instead of Pablo Prigioni. ... Knicks forward Amare Stoudemire made his season debut with 4:06 left in the first quarter. Woodson said Stoudemire would be on a 10-minute limit. ... The Bulls have won their last six home openers and the Knicks have dropped 14 of their last 16 games at the United Center.
