The Bulls and New York Knicks have met just twice before on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but both games rank among the most memorable in the series history.
The Knicks won 109-106 on Jan. 15, 1990, when they inbounded the ball with 0.1 seconds on the clock and Trent Tucker swished a desperation 3-pointer. The NBA quickly adopted what is commonly known as the "Trent Tucker rule," in which a team needs at least 0.5 seconds to catch the ball and get off a conventional shot attempt. The second instance was an 88-86 Bulls victory on Jan. 17, 2005, a game that helped build Ben Gordon?s reputation as a fourth-quarter scorer. With the game tied, the Mount Vernon, N.Y., native hit a running floater over future Bull Mike Sweetney with 0.2 seconds left to win the game.
Gordon was a rookie at the time, but the thrill of playing at Madison Square Garden hasn?t faded in his eyes.
"It?s always fun playing in the Garden, being from New York, going back home," he said. "The Garden is, they say, the ?Mecca of Basketball.? It definitely has the energy, so it?s always fun to play there."
Teammate Drew Gooden seconded that sentiment.
"I love the Garden," he said. "It?s going to be a great scene. I used to watch from the outside looking in, the Bulls and the Knicks on this day. So it?s going to be something special for me."
Trade deadline draws near: As of today, exactly one month remains before the Feb. 19 trade deadline. As a player whose contract expires at the end of the season, Drew Gooden is a prime candidate to be moved, but is trying to ignore the possibilities.
"This is the team I want to be with, so we?ll see what happens," he said following Sunday?s practice at the Berto Center. "Unfortunately, this is a business and I think I?ve been a victim of the business my whole career, so anything can happen."
Gooden has been traded three times in his seven-year career, twice at the trade deadline. In 2003, he was sent from Memphis to Orlando and last year he came to the Bulls from Cleveland.
"This is always an attractive place for me," Gooden added. "It?s a great city, great tradition here. When I got traded here and I knew I was going to be a Chicago Bull , I was in awe. Being a Chicago Bull meant a lot to me."
Gooden, who scored 11 points in Saturday?s loss to the Spurs, also vowed to keep playing through a groin strain he suffered last Monday against Portland.
"I feel a lot better now. It?s just that I can?t jump and I can?t explode," he said. "It?s tough for me right now. I don?t want to hurt my team, but I know Vinny (Del Negro) said he needs me out there."
Bulls see quality loss: Even though Saturday?s 92-87 loss to San Antonio snapped a two-game winning streak, the Bulls felt good about how they played.
"I thought we gave ourselves a chance to win against a very good and experienced team," Ben Gordon said. "We?ve just got to continue to play that way and I think we?ll be OK."
Coach Vinny Del Negro contends the Bulls started heading in the right direction even before getting Kirk Hinrich and Luol Deng back from injuries.
"I?ve seen it in practice for the last few weeks, a little bit more ? I don?t want to say a determined approach ? but just guys are starting to lock into, ?This is how we need to play, the way we need to do stuff,? " he said. "Sometimes we get away from that and it?s cost us."
