Tip-off: Tuesday, 8:00 p.m. ET
Line: Chicago -3.5, Total: 207

Chicago continues its playoff push on Tuesday night at MSG.

The Bulls stayed hot on Sunday, winning their fourth straight game with a 117-110 road triumph over the Pelicans (CHI +8.5). The Bulls are approaching .500 at 38-39 on the year (39-38 ATS), and they currently hold the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference—two games back of the fifth-place Bucks, one game back of the sixth-place Hawks, one game up on the eighth-place Heat and Pacers, two games up on the Hornets and three games up on the Pistons. After a night off, they get back on the court in The World’s Most Famous Arena on Tuesday for an 8:00 p.m. date with New York. The openly tanking Knicks have somehow won two of their last four games—but have lost seven of their last nine—and dropped to 29-48 (40-37 ATS) after a 110-94 home loss against the Celtics on Sunday (BOS -7.5). The Knicks have the league’s sixth-worst record, but are within “striking distance” of the 76ers and Magic as they vie for ping pong balls in this summer’s draft lottery. Over the last five seasons, home underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points that are allowing at least 103 points per game to opponents (NYK) are 40-67 ATS against teams coming off a game in which they scored at least 110 points. In the same timeframe, April games involving a road team averaging at least 53 rebounds per game on the season (CHI) are 52-19 Under against totals of at least 200. PG Derrick Rose and C Joakim Noah won’t return this season for the Knicks, while SF Carmelo Anthony is probable and SF Lance Thomas is questionable for Tuesday night. SG Dwyane Wade will miss at least the remainder of the regular season for Chicago.

It’s no coincidence that the Bulls’ recent success has coincided with excellent play from their franchise cornerstone (for now) SF Jimmy Butler (23.9 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 5.5 APG, 1.9 SPG). Butler was dominant on Sunday, scoring 39 points in 39 minutes to go with six boards and five assists. It was his third game scoring at least 33 points in his last five, a stretch in which he is shooting 7-of-9 from deep (35.7% on the season) and has two double-digit assist games. Unexpectedly, PG Rajon Rondo (7.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 6.7 APG, 1.5 SPG) has seen a late-season surge in productivity, as well. He nearly had a triple-double against the Pelicans with 10 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, his third game in the last four in which he was only one assist and/or rebound short of a triple-double. The lone game in which that was not the case, he had 25 points, 11 rebounds and six assists against the Hawks. Another guy who was a disappointment for most of the year but has rebounded in recent games is PF Nikola Mirotic (10.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG). In his last seven games, he is averaging 17.6 PPG and 6.0 RPG, plus making 3.7 three-pointers per game (1.8 for the season). He had back-to-back 28-point games last week in which he shot a combined 12-of-20 from three-point land. C Robin Lopez (10.2 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.4 BPG) and SF Paul Zipser (5.3 PPG, 2.7 RPG) join those three in the starting five.

It’s safe to assume that some of the guys that the Knicks have been trotting out lately, including PG Chasson Randle (5.0 PPG), SF Maurice Ndour (2.1 PPG) and SF Sasha Vujacic (2.6 PPG)—yes, Sasha Vujacic—won’t be getting much playing time for New York next year, or perhaps any other team, for that matter. But such is life without Noah (5.0 PPG, 8.8 RPG) and Rose (18.0 PPG, 4.4 APG), who are sidelined with a suspension and an injury, respectively. They were even without leading scorer Anthony (22.5 PPG, 5.9 RPG) on Sunday, as he sat with a back injury. Between being banged up, having a terrible relationship with the organization, and the fact that the Knicks are tanking, don’t be surprised if Melo sits some more in the season’s final games. As for entrenched NBA players who did take the court against Boston, SG Courtney Lee (10.7 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.0 SPG) led the way with 16 points on 10 shots. He would be a solid bench player on a good roster; for New York, he’s the best player on the team in far too many games. PF Kristaps Porzingis (18.1 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 2.0 BPG) was quiet in scoring 14 points and pulling down only one single rebound against a Boston front line that gets outrebounded more often than not. C Willy Hernangomez (7.8 PPG, 6.8 RPG) had 12 points but only three rebounds. Rookie SG Ron Baker (3.7 PPG) has quickly become a fan favorite in the Big Apple.