Knicks fall apart in second half, routed by Bulls

CHICAGO — It was Derrick Rose Night at the United Center, a night to honor the local hero, the Chicago kid who’d gone on to stardom, then fought through injuries and adversity for 15 seasons.

And for much of the night it seemed that between the highlights being shown and the halftime ceremony honoring Rose, his legacy would be on display on the court as Jalen Brunson, whom Rose helped mentor as a child in the ways of the point guard, put those lessons into action in a fitting tribute.

But while Brunson held up his part of the bargain, scoring 26 of his 33 points even before Rose rushed over to hug him at halftime, the Knicks did not.

Squandering an 11-point third-quarter lead, the Knicks fell apart, falling behind by as many as 19 and dropping a 139-126 decision to the Bulls.

The Knicks were outscored 42-13 in a span of 9:57 — with the Bulls shooting 8-for-9 from three-point range in that stretch — as Chicago turned its 11-point deficit into a 107-89 lead early in the fourth quarter. Coby White, who shot 9-for-11 from three-point range, and Zach LaVine each scored 33 points for the Bulls (16-19).

The Knicks (24-12) got within 119-113  with 6:18 left  as Karl-Anthony Towns scored 18 points in just over six minutes, but the Bulls pulled away again. Towns scored 25 of his 44 points in the fourth quarter and added 16 rebounds.

The loss came  in the wake of a fourth-quarter collapse in Oklahoma City on Friday night, marking the Knicks’ first losing streak since they dropped two straight in early November. The back-to-back road games ended an arduous stretch of the schedule in which they played 21 road games in their first 36 games.

It would be understandable if fatigue was a factor, as the Knicks have put their starting five on the floor for long minutes. All five starters logged more than 40 minutes Friday night against Oklahoma City, the first time a Knicks starting five had done that in a game since 2013. The Thunder bench had outscored the Knicks’ reserves 44-5, and if the Knicks looked gassed at the end, well, they were. “I played over 40?” Towns said. “It felt like it.”

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While Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau has absorbed criticism and questions over the years for piling up minutes on his starters, it’s an argument without merit. It comes mostly from those who don’t see the inner workings of how he’s adapted to the game and the schedule.

The casual look at the numbers are alarming. Aside from the 40 minutes played by every starter Friday in the front end of a back-to-back set, the Knicks entered Saturday with four players in the top six in total minutes played this season. Mikal Bridges was first, OG Anunoby third, Josh Hart fourth and  Brunson sixth. Only Towns sat outside the top 10, ranking 16th in the NBA in total minutes played.

But the Knicks rarely practice, and as the season wears on, they even drop the lighter work of the morning shootarounds. They have opted for film and walk-throughs in a hotel ballroom. So adding a few more minutes in a game is countered by the rest days that might not have existed a few decades ago. And part of the reason the Knicks’ starters litter the leaders in total minutes played is because they play every game — so far avoiding any serious injuries or requiring nights off.

The Knicks are limited in their options. Deuce McBride was sidelined Friday and Saturday because of a hamstring injury, Mitchell Robinson remains out of action and  Friday was a night when Cam Payne didn’t match up well against the taller Thunder guards.

“You’ve got to read the game,” Thibodeau said Friday night. “Obviously we had an eight-point lead going into the fourth. You know the intensity of the fourth quarter is different. So we’ve got to be ready for that. We fell short tonight, but our bench is capable, more than capable. And our starters are more than capable. So we win together, lose together.”

“At the end of the day, it don’t matter,” Hart said. “Fourth quarter you have to go out there and win the game. At that point, it’s just competitiveness and adrenaline pushing you through, so I’ve always said I want to be out there as much as I can. At that point, we’ve got to make sure we execute.”

Notes & quotes: Hart scored only two points but had 16 rebounds and 10 assists . . . The Bulls shot 20-for-37 from three-point range to the Knicks’ 8-for-30 and scored 76 points in the second half to erase the Knicks’ 72-63 halftime lead.