Anthony's heroics lift Knicks past Bulls in OT

Carmelo Anthony was hopping around and screaming "This is my house!" after burying the shot that capped his best performance of the season and greatest moment as a Knick.

Anthony has been booed at the Garden this season, but he had everyone standing and cheering Sunday after his three-pointer gave the Knicks a 100-99 overtime win over the Bulls.

Anthony scored a season-high 43 points, shooting 16-for-31. He sent the game to overtime by drilling a three-pointer with 11.2 seconds left and erased a two-point deficit with 8.2 seconds to play in overtime against a team the Knicks will face again Tuesday in Chicago and could play in the first round of the playoffs.

Bulls All-Star Derrick Rose, who returned after missing 12 games with a groin injury, had some costly missed free throws and eight turnovers and was outdueled by Anthony in his house.

"It was mine today," Anthony said. "They were talking some trash out there a little bit. In the moment, it's fun times."

This would have been a devastating loss for the Knicks (29-27) if Anthony, who scored 17 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, hadn't rescued them twice. They went ahead 27-6 with 3:30 left in the first quarter but fell behind 91-81 with 3:45 left in the fourth against the Bulls (43-14). But they earned their 11th win in 14 games under Mike Woodson and worked extra hard to get it.

Anthony and Tyson Chandler (16 rebounds) combined for three offensive boards on the Knicks' final possession. Anthony made sure the work wasn't in vain, hitting the shot that gave the Knicks their eighth straight victory at home. "Unbelievable," Woodson said. "They refused to give in."

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"This was a playoff game," Anthony said. "We might play these guys in the playoffs if we keep going and get that seed. This was a big statement game. We willed this one."

The Knicks, who moved into a tie for seventh place with the 76ers -- one game ahead of the ninth-place Bucks in the battle for the eighth and final playoff spot -- were fortunate to get the game to overtime. With the Bulls leading by three, Luol Deng and Rose missed two free throws each in the final 34.1 seconds of the fourth quarter.

After Deng misfired, Steve Novak had a three-pointer go in and out. After Rose's two misses, Anthony pulled up and hit the tying three. Rose had a chance to win the game but shot an air ball on a 20-footer from the right wing as time expired.

Rose also missed a seven-foot baseline runner on the last play of overtime. When that shot didn't fall, the Knicks celebrated and involved the crowd as Chandler high-fived some fans.

"D-Rose is an incredible player," Chandler said. "I thought I was going to come over and get a block and somehow he still got it up, and I was very excited to see it didn't go in."

Rose scored 22 of his 29 after halftime, including a four-point play, but shot 8-for-26. Chicago native Iman Shumpert played tough defense on Rose and had 15 points, nine rebounds, six assists and four steals. J.R. Smith shot 6-for-22 but scored four of his 14 in overtime.

In the extra session, the Bulls went ahead 99-95 on Rose's pull-up jumper with 2:51 left. It stayed that way until Anthony scored inside with 1:04 to go.

Then Smith slapped the ball away from Rose, and on the Knicks' fourth shot of the possession, Anthony came through.

"Tyson did a great job getting the offensive rebounds down the stretch," Anthony said. "At that point in time, I was like, 'Something's got to go.' If I take this shot and make it, we win. If we don't, we lose the basketball game."

Anthony wouldn't let that happen in his house.