With Carmelo Anthony returning from a suspension, the New York Knicks will try to avoid their first three-game losing streak Friday night when they host the Chicago Bulls at 8:00 pm ET.

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Anthony, second in the league with 29.0 points per game, was suspended one game by the NBA for confronting Kevin Garnett after New York's 102-96 loss to Boston on Monday. The superstar forward was angry about Garnett's choice words during a fourth-quarter altercation, going toward the Celtics' locker room and then waiting near Boston's team bus after the game.

Without him Thursday, the Knicks (23-12) turned in one of their worst offensive performances of the season in an 81-76 loss at Central Division-leading Indiana.

New York has dropped six of the past seven meetings with the Bulls, and three in a row since Anthony had 43 points and hit the decisive 3-pointer with 8.2 seconds left in overtime during a 100-99 home win April 8.

Meanwhile, Chicago (19-14) is just 4-4 since last facing the Knicks, and is also looking for a bounce-back performance after falling 104-96 to Milwaukee on Wednesday to halt its three-game winning streak.

Carlos Boozer had 22 points and 11 rebounds and is enjoying perhaps his best stretch in three seasons with the Bulls. Luol Deng and Marco Belinelli have done much of the damage in those games. Belinelli scored 22 points in each while Deng totaled 51 -- with 29 and 13 rebounds coming at MSG last month.

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