Bulls beat the Knicks for the third time this season

The Knicks have shown that they’ve had no trouble dealing with the Miami Heat this season, the defending champions who sit at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.

As for defense-first teams like the Bulls and the Celtics however, that’s where New York tends to struggle.

Playing Chicago for the third time this season and for the second time in the friendly confines of Madison Square Garden, the Knicks were essentially dead on arrival.

Whether it’s in their heads at this point that they can’t generate offense against the Bulls or whether it was just an off night, Chicago rolled from the very start, and withstood a 41-point fourth quarter from New York on the way to a 108-101 victory, their third straight over the Knicks this season.

The Bulls, not exactly known for their scoring ability ranking just 23rd in the league in offensive efficiency, built a 21-point halftime lead on the strength of better than 57 percent shooting, while holding the Knicks under 30 percent from the field through the first two quarters.

Carmelo Anthony was back from a one-game suspension, but was largely frustrated while finishing with 39 points on 14-of-32 shooting. Luol Deng for the Bulls, meanwhile, piled up points for the second straight game against the Knicks, and finished with 33 points on 13-of-18 shooting.

Anthony isn’t the one to blame for this loss, however — it was a collective effort from the entire Knicks team to fall behind so quickly to a Bulls squad that has simply had its number this season.

Jason Kidd started and played 20 minutes, but missed all six of his shot attempts and not only didn’t manage to score, but didn’t hand out a single assist. The Knicks miss Raymond Felton creating at the point guard position, and their depth was tested without Marcus Camby, who will miss the next 2-4 weeks with a foot injury.

Chicago manages to roll along on the strength of its defense, while the Knicks seem to suffer at any hint of a bit of a speed bump. New York has real reasons to be concerned with its playoff chances as the season progresses, while the Bulls can take comfort in the fact that they have enough to beat the top teams in the conference right now, even as they await the return of their MVP point guard, Derrick Rose.