Chicago Bulls vs. New York Knicks: 5 Quick Thoughts on Bulls' 105-102 Win

The Chicago Bulls held off the New York Knicks Thursday night, defeating them 105-102 at Madison Square Garden in thrilling fashion. Both teams traded buckets in the fourth quarter behind their respective superstars, Derrick Rose and Amar'e Stoudemire. However, Carmelo Anthony missed a potential game-tying three-pointer as time expired, sealing the 105-102 win for the Bulls.

Rose led the Bulls with 32 points and 13 assists, marking the fourth time in five games that he has scored over 30 points. Kyle Korver also continued his recent hot streak, adding 16 points on 4-of-7 shooting. Carlos Boozer added 16 points and nine rebounds.

Despite key injuries to starters Luol Deng and Richard Hamilton, the Bulls held off a great night from Amar'e Stoudemire (34 points and 11 rebounds). Carmelo Anthony added 26 points on 10-of-26 shooting but was completely shut down by Bulls rookie Jimmy Butler in the fourth quarter.

The Bulls led 55-44 at halftime and let the Knicks climb back into the game by being outscored 31-22 in the third. However, Rose put the Bulls on his back, scoring 15 points in the fourth quarter to hold off the Knicks.

Here are five quick thoughts following the Bulls' 105-102 win in New York.

Jimmy Butler Shut Down Melo in the Fourth

For the first 24 games of the season, rookie Jimmy Butler has seen very limited minutes, even with Luol Deng sitting on the bench due to a torn ligament in his wrist.

While his playing time has seen an increase in the last four games (10.25 minutes per game), it wasn't until tonight that Butler saw significant time when it mattered.

Tom Thibodeau opted to stick Butler instead of Ronnie Brewer on Carmelo Anthony in the fourth quarter. The results?

Butler absolutely swallowed Melo, holding him to four points in the fourth on 1-of-4 shooting. Butler added seven points of his own on the offensive end, including four in the fourth.

I'd consider this a wake-up to Thibodeau to start playing Butler. The kid can obviously ball.

Kyle Korver Has Been Red-Hot Lately

Kyle Korver has seen an increase in his minutes lately due to injuries to shooting guard Richard Hamilton. Korver started the season off a little sluggish behind the arc but has been on a tear lately.

Maybe a little more playing time is all the longtime three-point specialist needed to get his game going. In the last five games, Korver has averaged 12 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in nearly 35 minutes per game. Korver has also shot almost 47 percent, including 42 percent from behind the arc.

Tonight was no different for Kyle. He had 16 points on 4-of-7 shooting in 36 minutes. Also, his defense wasn't horrible, as he had many individual stops on Landry Fields and Carmelo Anthony.

The catch-and-shoot veteran is going to have to keep his current stroke going if the Bulls want to win despite injuries.

Amar'e Stoudemire Made a Statement

As the NBA trade deadline looms closer, one player who has been the subject of much trade discussion is Amar'e Stoudemire. Many people say that Stoudemire is plagued with injuries (knees and ankles) and can no longer play at an elite level.

The criticism seems to be backed up by Stoudemire's poor performance thus far this season, as he is only averaging 17.6 points and 8.0 rebounds on 43 percent shooting. Many people also attribute the Knicks' poor start to the poor play of Stoudemire.

Well, Stoudemire came out on the floor Thursday night looking like a completely different player. He was tearing up the post all night, bullying Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer en route to 34 points on 16-of-27 shooting. Stoudemire posted a double-double with 11 rebounds as well.

But I noticed something different about Stoudemire. Despite his sluggish play all season, Stoudemire looked like he had the energy of his 24-year-old self and not the recent energy of his 29-year-old self. He was the only reason the Knicks were even in contention to win the ballgame.

We will have to wait and see if Stoudemire can keep up what he showed us on Thursday. But amidst all the trade talk and criticisms, Stoudemire made a statement Thursday night.

The Knicks Show a Glaring Need for a PG

Baron Davis' return cannot come soon enough for the New York Knicks, as evidenced by the Knicks' offensive play Thursday.

The only thing keeping New York in the game was a red-hot Amar'e Stoudemire. Carmelo Anthony shot poorly (10-of-26), and despite Iman Shumpert's best imitation of a facilitator, the Knicks offense was all over the place.

The Knicks currently stand at 8-14 and have been arguably the NBA's biggest disappointment so far. While we don't know how much Davis has left in the tank, he will certainly be better than whoever the Knicks are throwing out on the court right now.

Toney Douglas is a big-time chucker, and Shumpert has the body and playing style of a shooting guard. Besides, Shumpert and Douglas only combine for six assists a game. Ouch.

Derrick Rose Is Ready to Win a Title

Derrick Rose is a big-time player. The reigning MVP has been averaging 23.1 points and 7.7 assists a game so far in this young season, leading the Bulls to a 19-6 record, good for No. 1 in the East.

He has done everything that a team could want its best player to do. He has been a vocal leader, a playmaker, a facilitator and a big-time player when it counts (besides Sunday against the Heat).

Thursday night was no different for Rose. He finished the game with the 32 points and 13 assists on 12-of-26 shooting. But Rose also stepped up when it counted, scoring 15 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter. Rose was the reason the Bulls won. Again.

That's exactly what Rose does for the Bulls, though. Even Sunday against the Heat, Rose elevated to a larger-than-life level, scoring 34 points to keep the Bulls in the game. While he choked in the last seconds, he was the only reason the Bulls had an opportunity to win the game.

Thursday's game against the Knicks also marked the fourth time in five games that Rose has eclipsed 30 points. It seems that when a couple of starters go down, Rose just plays better and bigger.

That's what leaders do. They can face adversity. It's clear that Rose is ready to win a title.

Just give him a healthy roster and he'll make it happen.