Three Stars (leaderboard)

1. Richard Hamilton: 20 points (.585 TS%), 4 rebounds, 5 assists

2. Kyle Korver: 14 points (.829 TS%), 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks

3. Luol Deng: 19 points (.598 TS%), 10 rebounds (4 off.), 4 assists

The most remarkable thing about this Bulls team is you never really know who the hero is going to be.

Yes, there are a handful of lead characters, but this long march to finish the job in the Eastern Conference finals has been enlivened considerably by the drama of seeing which Chicago role player will make himself indispensable on a given night.

In Tuesday’s play-it-back rematch against the Knicks, the leading man was Rip Hamilton, making a rare contribution this season with 18 points in the third quarter. Minutes later, Kyle Korver assumed the role, splashing 3-pointers and making smart, tough plays all over the court.

Derrick Rose, for the 13th time in 14 games, watched from the bench. I’ll be surprised if he’s playing his best when the playoffs start in two and a half weeks. But at least he’s not the only star of the show.

Box Score

Record: 44-14, first in the NBA

Next: Thursday 4/12 vs. Miami, 7:00 CT