Bulls 87
Knicks 81
CHICAGO – The Knicks lost a game they should’ve won and lost a player they needed for the stretch run last night at United Center.
Tim Thomas, who was just starting to come into his own the last week, strained his right groin and missed the last three quarters in last night’s 87-81 loss to the 19-win Bulls at United Center. The groin is a tricky injury and put Keith Van Horn, ironically, on the shelf earlier this season for six games.
With center Eddy Curry, as usual, killing the Knicks, they fell to the Bulls for the sixth time in their last eight meetings and now are in a seventh-place tie with Cleveland.
Curry made his first seven shots and finished with 25 points (9 of 11) with 14 rebounds. His offensive rebound and driving layup with 1:33 left put Chicago up 81-78 with 1:33 left. Then Curry made two free throws with 38.8 seconds left to give the Bulls a 83-79.
But the final dagger didn’t come until point guard Jamal Crawford, with one second left on the shot clock, made a fallaway 18-footer from the right baseline with just 3.4 seconds left, putting the Bulls up 85-81. The Bulls elected to try to run out as much time as possible and it worked because the Knicks didn’t foul.
Knicks coach Lenny Wilkens said he wanted Shandon Anderson to foul early in the posession, but the Knick guard did not hear his plea.
Stephon Marbury, unable to make up for Allan Houston and Thomas’ absence, was awful, scoring 10 points on 4 of 18 shooting. He was 0 for 4 in the fourth, including two airballs, and blew two layups earlier.
Wilkins said after the game that Marbury was troubled by a tightening back. Tim Thomas led the Knicks with eight points in the first quarter, then was not heard from again. Thomas played the whole first quarter and was fouled with .1 second left on a jumper from the right baseline. It was unclear if he injured himself on that play.
Thomas’ injury forced Dermarr Johnson into duty and he was awful in the first half. Early in the second quarter, Penny Hardaway tried to feed a posting-up Johnson and the ball was intercepted. Trying to ignite a fastbreak, Johnson lost control of the ball at halfcourt.
Curry did his usual impersonation of an up-coming star against the Knicks. It’s unknown why the 6-11 285-pound center always brings his “A” game against the Knicks but if he did this consistently, he’d be an All-Star. Curry abused Nazr Mohammed early.
On the game’s opening possession, he got the ball on the low right block, turned and hit a 5-footer. A few possessions later, he backed in Mohammed and plaid the ball in. Curry was 6 of 6 in the first half for 16 points and 6 rebounds.
Marbury seemed out of it. With the Knicks down 23-15, Bulls rookie point guard Kirk Hinrich stole the inbounds passed intended for Marbury and swept in alone for a dunk and 23-15 lead.
In the second, Marbury had a floater in the lane drive swatted emphatically by Curry.
