Knicks 115, Bulls 107
CHICAGO -- Rookie Kristaps Porzingis had 29 points and 10 rebounds, and Carmelo Anthony had 24 points and five assists to lead the New York Knicks to a 115-107 win against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night at the United Center.
Anthony missed New York's previous game against the Sacramento Kings with migraine headaches, but returned to help the Knicks (29-43) upset the Bulls (36-34).
Anthony and Porzingis combined for 17 points in the third quarter, when New York outscored Chicago 35-18 to extend a two-point halftime lead into a 92-73 margin starting the fourth.
The Knicks ended a three-game losing streak, beat the Bulls for the second time this season and ended a nine-game losing streak at the United Center.
Chicago fell out of the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference after the Detroit Pistons passed them with a 118-102 win against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.
Robin Lopez had 11 points and 13 rebounds for New York, which got double-figures scoring from Jose Calderon (11 points), Arron Afflalo (12 points) and Derrick Williams (12 points).
Nikola Mirotic tied the Bulls' franchise record with nine 3-pointers (nine of 13), on his way to a game-high 35 points. Derrick Rose added 21 points for Chicago, which had a three-game winning streak snapped.
Taj Gibson and Aaron Brooks chipped in 10 points each for the Bulls, who play at the Knicks on Thursday.
There were 16 lead changes in the first half, as New York clung to a 57-55 lead at halftime. Things changed in the third quarter, when the Knicks used a 13-2 run to build a 75-60 lead midway through the quarter. They reached a level Chicago couldn't match, shooting 13 of 21 (61.9 percent) from the field and hitting 5 of 7 from behind the 3-point line (71.4 percent). Anthony hit 3 of 4 on 3s in the frame.
Chicago went 6 of 19 from the floor in the third (31.6 percent) and 2 of 7 on 3s (28.6 percent). The Bulls battled back in the fourth, cutting a 22-point deficit to eight, but couldn't get closer than eight.
Porzingis and Anthony each hit big shots down the stretch to secure the win.
NOTES: Knicks F Carmelo Anthony returned against the Bulls after missing New York's 88-80 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Saturday with a migraine. ... Bulls G E'Twaun Moore (left hamstring) missed his third straight game and will not make the upcoming trip to New York and Orlando. "Hopefully, we'll get E'Twaun back, or at least get a better idea when we get back," coach Fred Hoiberg said. "He's starting to jog a little bit right now, but it's tricky. It's right in the belly of his hamstring, so we want him to be 100 percent coming back and hopefully finishing off the year." ... Hoiberg talked with the Iowa State men's basketball team before its game on Friday at the United Center in the NCAA Tournament's Midwest Regional. "I had a good talk with them," said Hoiberg, who played for Iowa State from 1991 to 1995 and coached the Cyclones from 2010 to 2015. "The biggest thing is just letting them know how proud I am of them. It's been a lot of fun to watch."