The Chicago Bulls play the New York Knicks Sunday night in an NBA game FREE live streaming online from Madison Square Garden at 7:30 PM ET
The Knicks have been eliminated by virtue of the 8th place Atlanta Hawks defeating the Miami Heat last night in Miami, thereby clinching the playoff spot for the Hawks.
New York (34-45) had dropped back-to-back games to Washington and Miami before pulling out a 108-100 victory at Toronto on Friday. Carmelo Anthony scored 30 points while playing through a shoulder injury and Amare Stoudemire added a season-high 24 to go with 11 rebounds.
"We dug such a hole early that it's been tough trying to dig out," coach Mike Woodson said. "We had to hope that Atlanta lost the next three and we win three. That's the only way we had a shot."
But, that shot is now over for the Knicks. Before tonight's game, J.R. Smith was discussing the Knicks chances of making the playoffs.
"We just have to keep grinding. We can't worry about what everybody else is doing or what Atlanta is doing," guard J.R. Smith said. "We just have to play our game, and if it happens it happens. If it doesn't, we dug ourselves into this hole.
"We can't get mad at Atlanta, we can't get mad at anybody but ourselves. We dug this grave, we have to lie in it."
Chicago moved one game ahead of Toronto for the East's No. 3 seed by storming back to beat Detroit 106-98 on Friday. The Bulls also clinched home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs with Atlanta's victory.
"Right now, we're just focused on basketball and making plays for each other, moving forward and getting better," said forward Taj Gibson, whose team trailed by as many as 18 in the third quarter. "That's the only thing we're focused on right now. Everything that's gonna come with success is gonna come. But right now, we remember how nobody was on our bandwagon at the beginning of the year, how that felt."
Chicago hosts Orlando on Monday before visiting Charlotte for Wednesday's regular-season finale.
The Bulls have taken 10 of 12 from New York, including a 109-90 victory in the last matchup March 2.
The game will be live streamed online at www.nbalivestreamfree.net
