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Chicago Bulls Lose To The New York Knicks, But No Bad Blood Between Players

By Ernest Shepard
Published on: 16:24 PST, Nov 4, 2016

There was a reunion between players from the Chicago Bulls and the New York Knicks on Friday, and no one got too physical. Watching former Bulls’ stars Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah wearing Knicks jerseys was odd to say the least. As was Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson playing against them for the first time as opponents. The Bulls versus the Knicks will never be the same after their first meeting of the NBA season.

Rose and Noah returning to Chicago was bittersweet. Bulls fans cheered and booed them lustfully, reported SB Nation.

Rose and Noah would respond by helping propel the Knicks past the Bulls 117-104. Both Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah would go on to have their best games of the season. And surprisingly, unlike the reunion of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, there was very little trash talk.

In the days leading up to the game between the Bulls and Knicks, Derrick Rose was asked about his return to Chicago. The star point guard chalked it up as no big deal.

“I’m not even thinking about that [game]. It’s no bad blood there either. I understand that this is a business and they made a business decision.

“People I think they’re making it a big thing because of the trade. I can’t even think that far down the line. But I’ll be prepared just like any other game.”

Derrick Rose played as if there was no bad blood. Actually, he was performing as if the game versus the Bulls was just another game.

It was the same feeling apparently for Jimmy Butler, who essentially has replaced Rose as the face of the Bulls. That is despite Dwyane Wade getting the promotional push for being the hometown kid returning to his roots. What Butler understood more than Bulls fans on the outside looking in was that a change had to take place this offseason.

He would admit to it hours before the Bulls were to host the Knicks.

“I don’t think guys had different visions on what it took to win. I don’t think everybody was on the same page, truthfully, for what guys’ roles was going to be. That’s what it came down to, to tell the truth. I think that you look at the talent each individual had, everybody wanted to show how good they could be on any given night.”

When watching the Bulls now, there are some subtle differences. There are still a few things that need fine-tuning, notably the stall in the ball movement at times, but things are different. The Bulls’ agenda seems to be a unified front. Now what the Bulls need to figure out is how to get from point A to point B.

So far, it has been to rely on the elder stars, Wade and Rajon Rondo. Results have come out mixed. At times the Bulls have looked like a front-runner in the Eastern Conference, but bad habits have crept into the last two games. That is a result of the Bulls not knowing each other just yet. Also, they must rely on Butler much more than they have in previous seasons.

As for the Knicks, beating the Bulls was their best game of the early season. Not only did Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah play with a purpose, but the contributions from the other members of the Knicks’ starting five is what carried them to victory,

This is not the last time the Chicago Bulls will square off against the New York Knicks. So there will be time for acrimonious feelings to develop. What will most be remembered about the Knicks defeating the Bulls is the game itself. Thankfully, no sharp elbows were thrown. The Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks proved that you can have a budding rivalry without any bad blood.

[Featured Image by Michael Reaves/Getty Images]

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