Chicago (9-11) found its answer at point guard by selecting Rose with this year's No. 1 overall pick, and needed to clear room in its backcourt. Duhon, who spent his first four seasons with the Bulls, was not re-signed and ended up landing with New York (9-11).

Rose ranks second among rookies with 18.5 points per game and first in assists with 6.1 per contest, perhaps exceeding the expectations placed on him.

Duhon clearly is.

After averaging a career-low 5.8 points last season, Duhon seemed headed for another backup role with Stephon Marbury seemingly a lock to start for New York. But Marbury has been ordered to stay away from the Knicks and the two sides have agreed to a separation.

That opened the door for Duhon, who has started every game for New York. He ranks fourth in the NBA with 8.3 assists per game, including a franchise-record 22 in a win over Golden State on Nov. 29, and is averaging a career-high 12.1 points.

"When you have an organization and a coach that believes in you, that wants you out there, that gives you a boost of confidence especially with this system," Duhon said. "The system hasn't hurt at all either. A lot of the control goes to the point guard to make decisions and get the ball where it needs to be. Right now, I am just getting better and better with it."

In his last 11 games, Duhon is averaging 15.2 points and 9.3 assists while shooting 91.7 percent from the free-throw line.

Duhon had 25 points and nine assists in the Knicks' 104-92 win over Detroit on Sunday. It was his second 20-point effort in four games and third this season, equaling the number he had in the previous two seasons combined.

He played all 48 minutes Sunday, helping New York avoid its first four-game skid of the season.

"We just needed to win. We lost a couple of games in a row," Duhon said. "We've just got to start feeling good about ourselves and understand that, again, it's a long season, it's a process. There's going to be bumps in the road but we've just got to fight through it and keep playing hard."

New York was without backup guard Nate Robinson, who re-injured his strained groin in a loss to Atlanta on Friday. Robinson, averaging 13.8 points and 4.1 assists, is uncertain for Tuesday's game.

Bulls swingman Luol Deng, meanwhile, appears back up to speed after missing three games in late November with a hamstring injury. Deng had a season-high 26 points in Chicago's 117-110 win over Washington on Saturday night, three days after posting his first 20-point game in nearly three weeks in a loss at Milwaukee.

Deng, who signed a six-year contract extension in the offseason, was shooting 39.4 percent from the field before going 20-of-33 (60.6 percent) over the last two games.

"I always have my confidence," Deng said. "Just some games I was struggling out there. What I got to do is be more aggressive more often even when the shot is not falling try to stay with it. I was slowed down with the injury a little bit, but now I'm feeling better."

Rose added 15 points and eight assists without turning the ball over Saturday as Chicago avoided its first three-game losing streak of the season.

Chicago and New York tied last season's series 2-2. In the most recent meeting, the Knicks ended a seven-game losing streak at the United Center with a 105-100 victory on Jan. 8.