New York Knicks: 5 Keys to Victory over the Chicago Bulls

The New York Knicks are about to have their biggest game of the season tonight against the Chicago Bulls.

Yes, that's right, this is once again an incredibly important game. Every game is important down the stretch of the NBA season with the Knicks currently in the seventh seed by tie-breaker over the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Milwaukee Bucks are right in the hunt and only one game behind both New York and Philly.

With two of the three teams in action tonight, there's a good chance the NBA playoff picture will change after tonight and one of these three teams might not be where you'd expect for the moment.

The Knicks must focus on beating the Bulls tonight, a task that might be impossible even before you mention how great a team Chicago is.

Home-and-home games between teams are normally split, and since the Knicks won the first at home, it's only logical to answer the Bulls will win the second.

No question Mike Woodson's squad got lucky in their first meeting of the home-and-home, but it did also show resilience while being opportunistic when given the chance, and that can't be overlooked.

Here are five keys to victory for the Knicks against the Bulls.

Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony will be the key to any game the Knicks play on a nightly basis.

Anthony has been averaging a shade below 30 points per game since Amar'e Stoudemire and Jeremy Lin went down to injury. While the Knicks can win with exactly that production offensively, it won't hurt if Melo can drop 43 again.

The unsung part of Melo's game lately has been his work on the defensive end.

When you see a ball poked away by the Knicks' defense, it's normally Melo who's responsible for it.

That's become a specialty of the Knicks superstar's repertoire.

Rebounding and ball movement will also be necessary if Anthony doesn't want to win another game by himself. The Knicks offense can run through Anthony, but it simply can't become stagnant as a result of the isolation.

That will help the Knicks be successful for 48 minutes and not just the first half.

Superior Bench Production

I used the word superior in regards to the Knicks outscoring their Tuesday night opponents off the bench.

When the Bulls don't have Derrick Rose in the game, the Knicks need to take advantage with one of the best reserve lineups in the NBA.

In their last game with Chicago, the bench was non-existent for New York, and while J.R. Smith shot the ball enough for the entire team, that wasn't exactly Mob Deep at it's best.

Steve Novak was limited during the game, and some of his first shots were down the stretch.

If Toney Douglas can run some semblance of an offense for 15 to 20 minutes, maybe Novak can get some early looks to work into a groove for the later stages.

Smith and Douglas' offensive contributions will be important to the Knicks running up the score on a tough defensive team.

And with the Knicks' problems in the size department, it's a good thing for the team that Jared Jeffries is back.

Mob Deep will need to prove they're even worth a moniker at all with a strong game tonight.

Iman Shumpert

Offense

The Knicks will need a secondary option scoring the ball, and Iman Shumpert has proven to be a candidate for the job this season.

Shump had two 25-point games in three days against the Orlando Magic and the Atlanta Hawks. The Knicks rookie guard can get hot and help his team spread the floor even more for the rest of their offense.

Coach Woodson must try to avoid having Shumpert run the point often in order to unleash the best in him offensively during the game. That might be difficult, but important nonetheless.

Points will be at a premium for both teams tonight, and if the Knicks get Melo and Shump going in this game, they'll have a huge advantage.

Defense

Many would argue it was rust that plagued Derrick Rose in his first matchup of the Bulls home-and-home with the Knicks, but I'd argue that Shumpert also had a hand in that.

One of the best defenders in the NBA, Shump did a solid job on Rose last game, and he will be tasked with guarding one of the best players in the league once again tonight.

Shumpert's frantic defensive style will be vital to the Knicks not only containing Rose, but also isolating Rose from the rest of his team.

Disrupt Rose, disrupt the Bulls' offense. Pretty tall order for a rookie defender.

Rose will score his points, but he can't win on his own.

Shump and the Knicks must force him to do that.

Defensive Intensity

There is no doubt that night in and night out, the Bulls will bring an elite defensive pressure to any game during the season.

At least, New York must match that energy.

Under coach Woodson, the Knicks are quickly becoming one of the best in the NBA defensively.

You can attribute that to the great swarm defense the Knicks play with frantic double-teaming and in your face pressure that results in poked-away balls and forced turnovers.

Woodson has this team playing with a renewed spirit, and it shows in every game of his tenure as head coach.

Tyson Chandler has been the anchor all season and without Amar'e Stoudemire in the lineup, it appears he has some more space to impose his will defensively and take advantage of second-chances with well-timed tip-outs.

Melo's defensive effort has shown that the Knicks superstar can be a great all-around player and his team feeds off of it. 

Playing at the four, New York will need that effort from Melo tonight.

Free-Throw Shooting

Free-throw shooting is not only the key to easy points, but it also means a team is being aggressive and attacking the hoop instead of settling for tougher jump shots.

When New York's offense becomes stagnant, they stop going to the rim, and that's when this team struggles mightily unless Melo can save the day.

The Knicks were out-shot at the free-throw line, with the Bulls making eight more than the Knicks and shooting 11 more overall.

It's one thing to get to the line, it's another to actually make the free-throws.

An aggressive approach plus easy buckets equals more success on the offensive end.

Remember: Points are at a premium in this game, and the Knicks need to capitalize on their easiest opportunities.