The Knicks played their second to last home game of the season tonight. They wouldn’t disappoint as they defeated the playoff bound Chicago Bulls in front of a sell-out crowd at Madison Square Garden. This game was very close early on before the Knicks would build a 17 point lead in the second half. The Bulls didn’t go away easy, but the Knicks were able to holdout nonetheless defeating the Bulls 100-89.
Tonight’s game the Knicks played a very nice game on both ends. They competed and played like a team that hasn’t given up despite not going to the playoffs this season. This was a very solid win in terms of competing. They played hard and made plays despite facing a very well balanced defensive team.
Overall the Knicks really had a nice balance of scoring as six Knicks scored in double figures. The team was led by Tim Hardaway Jr, who scored a team high 20 points. He played a very nice game and finally was able to knock down some shots after struggling against the Heat. His play this season has been very nice for the Knicks. His effort and energy on offense has made the Knicks better. His only area of work needs to be his defense. That has been a big struggle for him, but with time he should get better on that end.
It was a very strong defensive effort from Cole Aldrich tonight. Aldrich would record three blocks and grab eight rebounds in 18 minutes of action. This season Aldrich has shown signs of playing like an NBA player and tonight he proved that. He should be someone the Knicks keep for next season simply because he is a young agile big man that the Knicks could use. Playing time will always be a concern, but when given the minutes Aldrich has performed well this season.
On the Bulls side of the things, they played very well in spurts tonight. Joakim Noah was the offensive and defensive leader for them tonight, and for the season. He played very well in getting his fingerprints all over the game tonight. Noah scored 13 points, grabbed 17 rebounds, and also dished out nine assists. He played 40 minutes tonight and didn’t show signs of wearing down. His play this season has been very important for the Bulls and in the playoffs he should continue to be their leader.
With their season almost over the Knicks played hard tonight against a team that is headed to the playoffs. They came out ready and played a full game of NBA basketball. There can be many things said about this Knicks team this year, but the last few weeks they finally showed why so many thought they would make the playoffs. Sadly it didn’t pan out, but this run has been nice to see despite it all being for nothing. The Knicks will play the Brooklyn Nets Tuesday night before closing out their season on Wednesday night against the Toronto Raptors.
Photo Credit: AP Photo/Seth Wenig
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