After the much anticipated return of Derrick Rose, we finally saw Rose in action. Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks hosted Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls in New York. The Knicks starters were Shane Larkin, Iman Shumpert, Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire, and Samuel Dalembert. Jose Calderon (calf) and Andrea Bargnani (hamstring) were out with injuries. However, the Bulls had a big third quarter to lead them to a 104-80 win over the Knicks.

In the first quarter, the Knicks started out well with an 8-2 run. They played team defense, forcing 6 turnovers, and pushed the ball up the court. The ball traveled from hand to hand and they ended the quarter with 4 assists on 9 shots and 3 turnovers, while shooting 42.9% from the field. Iman Shumpert picked up two fouls early in the quarter and was forced to head to the bench. As the quarter went on, the Knicks continued to fight but the Bulls bench seemed to take over the game. They went on an 8-0 run towards the end of the quarter and led the Knicks 24-20.

The second quarter started slow for the Knicks. They kept taking jump shots and veered away from the progress they had in the first quarter. The ball did not travel from hand to hand; instead, it stopped with J.R. Smith and Tim Hardaway Jr. They kept taking quick shots without looking for the better shot. It led to the Bulls bench dominating the game. They slaughtered the Knicks bench by outscoring them 30-14. Taj Gibson was a huge part with 13 points off the bench. However, the Knicks kept fighting. The lead ballooned to 15 points, but they brought it down to 10 before the end of the first half. The Knicks showed that they had the fight in them, however, they just did not have the talent to stop an overpowering Bulls offense and an overwhelming defense. The Knicks trailed the Bulls 53-43 at the end of the first half.

The third quarter showed Shane Larkin penetrating the defense. He attacked the paint continuously. However, he failed to convert on a few of the possessions and it led to the Bulls taking a 14 point lead early in the quarter. The Knicks field goal percentage dropped to 35.9% while the Bulls had a 53.6% field goal percentage overall. Their team defense was not present throughout the third quarter. They were not able to contain Pau Gasol or Taj Gibson and they failed to defend the perimeter. The Knicks trailed the Bulls 84-60. Pau Gasol led all scorers with 21 points and 10 rebounds.

By the fourth quarter, the Knicks had already given up. They proved to be no match for the new-look Chicago Bulls. The role players did not perform to their abilities. This has been a consistent issue within the Knicks roster and one has to wonder if any changes will be made before the trade deadline even though they have played only one game. Although it was a poor game from the Knicks, they did play against one of the toughest teams in the NBA. Their performance against the Bulls should not mirror their performance throughout the season. At some point throughout the season, they will adapt to the Triangle Offense and they will learn each other's tendencies. However, they will have to endure some disappointing losses until that time arrives. The Knicks ended the night shooting 36.5% from the field while shooting 17.6% from beyond the arc. The ball did not flow as it should have. They only had 19 assists on 31 shots. However, they did take care of the ball, as they ended the game with 11 turnovers.

Carmelo Anthony shot 5-13 from the field and ended the game with 14 points and 3 assists in 29 minutes of action. The shooting guards - Tim Hardaway Jr., Iman Shumpert, and J.R. Smith - struggled mightily, shooting a combined 6-27 from the field. This hurt the Knicks tremendously and hopefully it does not continue to be a trend. Samuel Dalembert showed his passing ability with some flashy passes; he ended the game with two assists but he had the potential to have many more if the passes were converted into points.

Derek Fisher is still experimenting with his lineups and he will have to find the answer soon. He will have to find ways for the Knicks to play efficiently on defense, while having the offense produce on a night-to-night basis.

The New York Knicks face Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday, October 30th.