DERRICK ROSE

Luka Dončić posted the best stat line of the season, but was that enough to make him the MVP favorite? Our NBA reporters debate that and more.

Being back in Chicago, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau was bound to see familiar faces. But when Joakim Noah walked into the room, he couldn't help but rip him for being late.

Evan Fournier scored 26 points, Immanuel Quickley had 12 of his 14 in the fourth quarter after New York had blown a 25-point lead, and the Knicks beat a Los Angeles Lakers team missing suspended star LeBron James 106-100.

Julius Randle had 32 points and 12 rebounds, and the New York Knicks erased an early 21-point deficit and routed the Milwaukee Bucks 113-98.

Kemba Walker scored 21 points, RJ Barrett added 20 and the New York Knicks hung on to hand the Chicago Bulls their first loss of the season 104-103.

Kemba Walker scored 19 points in his best game with his hometown team and the New York Knicks snapped a 15-game losing streak against the Philadelphia 76ers with a 112-99 victory.

Shaking off a spitting incident at Madison Square Garden, Trae Young dazzled in the first home playoff game of his career.

The New York Knicks will sell tickets only to fully vaccinated fans if they reach the second round of the playoffs.

It’s being hyped as the largest indoor event in New York since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, with a crowd of 15,000 expected at Madison Square Garden.

Denver’s Nikola Jokic finished ninth in the MVP voting last season.

Talen Horton-Tucker made the go-ahead 3-pointer with 21.1 seconds remaining, and the Los Angeles Lakers improved their hopes of avoiding the play-in tournament and prevented the New York Knicks from clinching a postseason berth with a 101-99 victory.

Derrick Rose scored 25 points off the bench, Reggie Bullock added 24 and the New York Knicks beat the Los Angeles Clippers 106-100 to snap an eight-game skid at Staples Center.

Julius Randle had 31 points and 10 rebounds, RJ Barrett had 25 points and 12 boards, and the New York Knicks beat the Toronto Raptors 120-103 for their ninth straight victory.

Detroit Pistons forward Blake Griffin (23) looks to pass over Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul (3) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Feb. 5, 2021, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)DETROIT – Blake Griffin's time in Detroit is over, another significant step in a rebuilding process that has the Pistons at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Griffin, who turns 32 later this month, came to Detroit in a trade during the 2017-18 season. Detroit traded big man Andre Drummond around this time last year, and the team's offseason reshuffling left Griffin as one of the few holdovers. “Blake has been a great representative for our franchise and for the city of Detroit,” Pistons owner Tom Gores said.

Detroit Pistons forward Blake Griffin (23) looks to pass over Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul (3) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Feb. 5, 2021, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)DETROIT – The Detroit Pistons are taking another step in their rebuilding process, planning to part ways with Blake Griffin. Detroit is 8-19 this season, and Griffin has already missed seven games. “I am grateful to the Pistons for understanding what I want to accomplish in my career and for working together on the best path forward," Griffin said. Griffin, who had knee surgery last year, played just 18 games last season.

New York Knicks guard Derrick Rose looks to pass the ball as Miami Heat guard Duncan Robinson (55) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)MIAMI – The first thing Derrick Rose did in his second stint with the New York Knicks was start handing out assists. Rose made his second Knicks debut Tuesday night in Miami, scoring 14 points in 20 minutes in New York's 98-96 loss to the Heat. Rose won the 2011 NBA MVP award, capping his first season under Thibodeau and a 62-20 season for the Bulls. “I think he’s in great shape.

(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)NEW YORK – Derrick Rose is reuniting with Tom Thibodeau after a trade that brings him back to New York. The Knicks agreed to acquire the former NBA MVP from the Detroit Pistons on Sunday, a person with knowledge of the details said. The Knicks will send Dennis Smith Jr. and a second-round pick to the Pistons, the person told The Associated Press. Once it is, it reunites Rose with Thibodeau, his coach in Chicago when the guard became the youngest MVP in NBA history at 22 in 2011. Rose later spent one season in New York, averaging 18 points in 2016-17, before rejoining Thibodeau again in Minnesota.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) is defended by Detroit Pistons forward Saddiq Bey (41) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Feb. 6, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)LOS ANGELES – LeBron James scored eight of his 33 points in the second overtime, Anthony Davis added 30 points and the Los Angeles Lakers narrowly avenged a loss in Detroit last month with a 135-129 victory over the undermanned Pistons on Saturday night. The Lakers committed a season-high 23 turnovers, blew a 17-point lead and wasted several chances to win in regulation. “There’s so many learning situations for young players and our guys to play against a great team like the Lakers. Lakers: Vogel got a technical foul in the second quarter for arguing about a blocking call on Marc Gasol.

(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)DETROIT – Joel Embiid had 33 points and 14 rebounds, and his two free throws with 7.2 seconds left helped the Philadelphia 76ers seal a 114-110 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night. Ben Simmons added 20 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for the 76ers, and he made a couple big free throws of his own in the final minute. Detroit trailed 110-108 after Jerami Grant made a 3-pointer with 28.5 seconds left, but Simmons calmly made two free throws to push the lead to four. “Especially late game.”Delon Wright's layup made it 112-110, but Embiid closed the game out with his free throws and finished 12 of 17 from the line. “Just having that confidence to knock those free throws down in a close game is big right now," teammate Tobias Harris said.