Eastern Conference Shakeup: Rose Out

via SI.com

The Chicago Bulls announced today that star point guard Derrick Rose is out indefinitely with a medial meniscus tear in his right knee. The injury will require surgery and there is no official time table for his return. Some players have returned from an injury like this in as little as two weeks, while others have been out the entire year.

After missing all of last season rehabbing his injured left knee this is becoming another heart-break for the city of Chicago and the NBA as a whole. If Rose is sidelined for any substantial period of time, his absence will surely hurt the Bulls championship aspirations and will shakeup the Eastern Conference's playoff projection. 

It is still early, however, without their former MVP in the lineup the Bulls are not the threat they were thought to be. Although you hate to wish injury on anyone, this could be good news for the Knicks, who have gotten off to an extremely slow start in a deep conference. Time will tell, and many hope Rose's return will be a speedy one, but let's hope the Knicks and the entire league can take advantage until the point guard returns. 

Chandler Shines but Knicks Fall to Bulls on a D-Rose Circus Shot

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

In their first road game of the year the Knicks turned in a trick or treat type of performance, showing flashes of a team that can make noise in the East and looking like a team with no identity in others. Sporting their new orange alternate jerseys they took on the Bulls in Derrick Rose’s first game in Chicago since he tore his ACL against the Sixers in the 2012 playoffs. The story of the first half was the same for the Knicks; turnovers, turnovers and more turnovers. Andrea Bargnani continues to look lost on both ends of the floor racking up a remarkable three offensive fouls something he probably couldn’t replicate if he tried. Amar’e Stoudemire got his first action of the season and looked rusty to say the least scoring one basket on two attempts in limited minutes. Rookie Tim Hardaway Jr. was one of the few bright spots for the Knicks in the first half scoring seven points including one from downtown and a nice lay-in. Tyson Chandler continues to be the only constant for Coach Mike Woodson on the defensive end pulling down eight boards and scoring four points at the half. The Bulls continued to bully the Knicks in the paint with Chandler on the bench and took advantage of sloppy passing in transition buckets. Woodson has yet to get a viable back up for Chandler as Kenyon Martin is still getting his legs underneath him after not playing the whole preseason.

Both Carmelo Anthony and Bargnani started to find the range combining for 16 in third period helping the Knicks stay in striking distance heading into the fourth. The Knicks got fire at the five minute mark going on a 12-0 run sparked by Anthony and Hardaway Jr. to take a 78-76 lead. Chandler was a beast on the boards for the second consecutive night pulling down a monster 19 rebounds not including a number of his patented tip outs giving the Knicks second and third chances. A key review with 26 seconds left gave the Knicks the ball which resulted in a Noah foul on Chandler that gave the Knicks a 81-80 lead, then D-Rose acted like D-Rose sinking the game winner with five seconds left after a last minute Anthony heave was off the mark as the ‘Bockers fall 82-81 in Chi Town.

Knicks 2013-2014 Schedule Released

Official NBA regular season schedules were released last night, and the excitement is already building around the Knicks who lead the NBA with 25 nationally televised games (ESPN/ABC/TNT)!

Unlike last year where all Knick-Nets games were finished in the first half of the season, these fierce rivals will battle it out twice in the first half and twice in April, which are shaping up to be some very pivotal affairs.

Other key games to look out for are our four matchups with the Heat and our January and March faceoffs with the Pacers. All are sure to be must wins. As basketball fans we all have to be excited to see our team face the new look Rockets in November and January, as well as the Thunder on Christmas Day and our four games against Derrick Rose's Bulls. Can't wait for the season to start, its only 83 days away - that's less than three months! Let's go #KNICKSTAPE!!!!

2013-14 New York Knicks Regular Season Schedule
Nationally televised games are noted in BOLD.

October

Wednesday 30.. vs. Milwaukee....... 7:30 p.m.
Thursday 31.. at Chicago............. 8:00 p.m.

November

Sunday 3.. vs. Minnesota....... 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday 5.. vs. Charlotte......... 7:30 p.m.
Friday 8.. at Charlotte........... 7:00 p.m.
Sunday 10.. vs. San Antonio............ noon
Wednesday 13.. at Atlanta............... 8:00 p.m. 
Thursday 14.. vs. Houston........... 8:00 p.m.
Saturday 16.. vs. Atlanta............ 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday 19.. at Detroit............... 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday 20.. vs. Indiana............ 7:00 p.m.
Saturday 23.. at Washington....... 7:00 p.m.
Monday 25.. at Portland........... 10:00 p.m.
Wednesday 27.. at L.A. Clippers.... 10:30 p.m.
Friday 29.. at Denver.............. 9:00 p.m.

December

Sunday 1.. vs. New Orleans... 7:30 p.m.
Thursday 5.. at Brooklyn............ 7:00 p.m.
Friday 6.. vs. Orlando............ 7:30 p.m.
Sunday 8.. vs. Boston..................... noon
Tuesday 10.. at Cleveland........... 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday 11.. vs. Chicago............ 8:00 p.m.
Friday 13.. at Boston............... 7:30 p.m.
Saturday 14.. vs. Atlanta............ 7:30 p.m.
Monday 16.. vs. Washington.... 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday 18.. at Milwaukee.......... 8:00 p.m.
Saturday 21 vs. Memphis.................. noon
Monday 23 at Orlando.............. 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday 25.. vs. Oklahoma City 2:30 p.m.
Friday 27.. vs. Toronto............ 7:30 p.m.
Saturday 28.. at Toronto............. 7:00 p.m.

January

Thursday 2.. at San Antonio....... 8:30 p.m.
Friday 3.. at Houston............ 8:00 p.m.
Sunday 5.. at Dallas................. 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday 7.. vs. Detroit............. 7:30 p.m.
Thursday 9.. vs. Miami............... 8:00 p.m.
Saturday 11.. at Philadelphia....... 7:30 p.m.
Monday 13.. vs. Phoenix........... 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday 14.. at Charlotte........... 7:00 p.m.
Thursday 16.. at Indiana.............. 7:00 p.m. 
Friday 17.. vs. L.A. Clippers.... 7:00 p.m. 
Monday 20.. vs. Brooklyn.......... 2:30 p.m.
Wednesday 22.. vs. Philadelphia.... 7:30 p.m.
Friday. 24.. vs. Charlotte......... 7:30 p.m.
Sunday 26.. vs. L.A. Lakers...... 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday 28.. vs. Boston............. 7:30 p.m.
Thursday 30.. vs. Cleveland........ 8:00 p.m.

February

Saturday 1.. vs. Miami............... 8:30 p.m.
Monday 3.. at Milwaukee.......... 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday 5.. vs. Portland.......... 7:30 p.m.
Friday 7.. vs. Denver............. 7:30 p.m.
Sunday 9.. at Oklahoma City... 1:00 p.m.
Wednesday 12.. vs. Sacramento.... 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday 18.. at Memphis........... 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday 19.. at New Orleans...... 8:00 p.m.
Friday 21.. at Orlando.............. 7:00 p.m.
Saturday 22.. at Atlanta............... 7:30 p.m.
Monday 24.. vs. Dallas............... 7:30 p.m.
Thursday 27.. at Miami................. 8:00 p.m. 
Friday 28.. vs. Golden State... 8:00 p.m.

March

Sunday 2.. at Chicago............. 1:00 p.m.
Monday 3.. at Detroit............... 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday 5.. at Minnesota.......... 8:00 p.m.
Friday 7.. vs. Utah................. 7:30 p.m.
Saturday 8.. at Cleveland........... 7:30 p.m.
Monday 10.. vs. Philadelphia.... 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday 12.. at Boston............... 7:30 p.m.
Saturday 15.. vs. Milwaukee............... noon
Wednesday 19.. vs. Indiana............ 8:00 p.m.
Friday 21.. at Philadelphia....... 7:00 p.m.
Sunday 23.. vs. Cleveland........ 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday 25.. at L.A. Lakers....... 10:30 p.m.
Wednesday 26.. at Sacramento..... 10:00 p.m.
Friday 28.. at Phoenix........... 10:00 p.m.
Sunday 30.. at Golden State..... 9:00 p.m.
Monday 31.. at Utah.................. 9:00 p.m.

April

Wednesday 2.. vs. Brooklyn.......... 7:00 p.m.
Friday 4.. vs. Washington.... 7:30 p.m.
Sunday 6.. at Miami................. 1:00 p.m.
Friday 11.. at Toronto............. 7:00 p.m.
Sunday 13.. vs. Chicago............ 1:00 p.m. 
Tuesday 15.. at Brooklyn............ 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday 16.. vs. Toronto............ 8:00 p.m.