CHICAGO: French big man Joakim Noah notched the fifth triple-double of his NBA career yesterday to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 109-90 victory over the reeling New York Knicks.
Noah scored 13 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and handed out a career-best 14 assists as the Bulls posted their ninth win in 10 games.
DJ Augustin scored 23 points, Jimmy Butler chipped in 19 and Carlos Boozer scored 14 for Chicago, who led from start to finish.
The Bulls stormed to a 16-1 lead in the first five minutes, their smothering defense causing the Knicks to go 0-for-4 from the field and turn the ball over three times.
The margin would swell to 21 points by the end of the first quarter.
The Knicks trimmed the deficit in the second period, as Amare Stoudemire scored six points in an 8-0 scoring run that brought the Knicks within nine points with less than four minutes to play in the first half.
But the Knicks could make little further headway after the break, and dropped their sixth decision in a row despite 21 points from Carmelo and a 22-rebound effort from Tyson Chandler.
Guard Jimmer Fredette, signed by the Bulls earlier in the day for the remainder of the season, played the final three minutes of the contest, scoring two points and grabbing two rebounds.
Fredette reached a buyout agreement with the Sacramento Kings earlier this week and after clearing waivers was able to sign on with a team with playoff aspirations.
Fredette said before the game he was looking forward to playing with his new teammates.
“I see how this team plays,” Fredette said. “They play hard every single night, play for each other and play the right way.
“That was something I was looking for, coming to a team where I can fit in and play the way they do, hard every single night.”
Menwhile, the San Antonio Spurs are whole for the first time in months and they performed in the same efficient style that helped them battle through the rash of injuries.
Tony Parker had 22 points and seven assists in his return from a six-game absence, leading San Antonio’s balanced attack in a 112-106 victory over the Dallas Mavericks yesterday.
Parker played with his usual relentlessness, finishing 10 for 15 from the field on a series of breakneck drives. He also had just one turnover in 32 minutes, and the Spurs had six players score in double figures.
“I thought Parker looked great again coming off a nice little 10-day break they can afford to give him,’’ Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki said.
“And he just comes in and looks great.’’
Despite a series of injuries, San Antonio (43-16) remains 1 1/2 games behind Oklahoma City (45-15) for the top seed in the Western Conference.
Tim Duncan scored 17 points, Kawhi Leonard added 16 and Boris Diaw had 13 points and 10 rebounds for San Antonio. Manu Ginobili had 15 points and seven assists as the Spurs extended their winning streak to three games. Nowitzki scored 22 points, Vince Carter added 21 and Monta Ellis had 17 for the Mavericks, who have lost eight straight to the Spurs.
Parker looked refreshed after not playing since Feb. 10 for what San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich officially listed as “’rest,’’ but unofficially was due to a series of lower body maladies.
“I think it was a little bit of (a physical and mental rest),’’ Parker said.
“Pop, I trust his judgment. I didn’t want to admit it to myself. But maybe I was tired mentally. It’s a lot of basketball the last three years with no break; the (French) national team and NBA. It definitely helped, I felt fresh.’’
The French point guard made his first shot, and on the ensuing possession, drove into the heart of the paint to draw the defense and fired a pass to Leonard for an open 3-pointer that gave San Antonio a 5-2 lead.
“I just try to penetrate and make stuff happen,’’ Parker said.
Agencies
