CHICAGO — The only things Carmelo Anthony liked about another mortifying afternoon were a couple of signs he saw at United Center lobbying for him to become a Bull.
Behind the Knicks bench, one fan brandished a poster with Anthony’s picture and the inscription “Melo to Chicago.’’
“I saw a couple of those tonight,’’ Anthony said. “It was a good sign. It was good.”
Otherwise, the Windy City matinee turned into another disaster, a 109-90 Knicks’ loss, and another sign of the times Anthony could bolt.
After J.R. Smith questioned the Knicks’ heart Friday, Anthony questioned the team’s “pride’’ and made an ominous remark that he “doesn’t like to be embarrassed like that’’ during one of his most scathing post-game rants this season.
The Knicks were lifeless group for the noon (CST) tipoff, falling behind 16-1 as Tom Thibodeau’s Bulls handed the Knicks their sixth straight loss and 12th in their last 14 games.
“Without a doubt, it’s embarrassing. It’s frustrating, embarrassing,’’ Anthony said. “Teams win and lose night in, night out, but just the way we’re not approaching the game with a winning attitude … I’m rambling right now, but it’s frustrating and I don’t like to be embarrassed like that.
“At this point, there’s no answers to it. As a team, we got to have some sense of pride and just go out there and compete. It seems we’re not even competing right now. We have to do a much better job of just having a sense of pride.’’
Anthony has been linked to the Bulls, who could have salary-cap space.
But before taking Anthony’s compliment of the sign as a bad omen, the Knicks free-agent-to-be clarified he didn’t mean the sign’s message was “good,’’ but the presentation.
“The artwork, he went to art class,’’ Anthony said. “Not the message, but it was a good sign.’’
Anthony, who scored 21 points but had a season-low two rebounds, admits he can’t even think straight with the Knicks now 18 games under .500 (21-29) and 6 ½ games out of the last playoff spot entering Sunday night’s games. The only suspense is whether the Knicks will ever win another game and if owner James Dolan will let Woodson finish out the season or put him out of his misery.
“I can’t even see next year,’’ Anthony said in the devastated locker room. “[Shoot], I can’t even see tomorrow at this point.’’
The Knicks were blindsided by the 37-16 first quarter. They cut it to a nine-point deficit late in the first half but never got within single digits in the second half.
The Bulls’ Joakim Noah, who has surpassed Tyson Chandler as an elite center, posted a triple-double with 13 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds. Heck he nearly had a triple-double at halftime with 11 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists as the Knicks were repeatedly burned on backdoor cuts.
“They came out with more energy than we did and took advantage of us,’’ said a glum Chandler, who hauled in 22 rebounds but scored just eight points.
“It’s not surprising,’’ J.R. Smith said of the poor start. “It’s been happening all year. I wish I had answers but I don’t. They play harder. Plain and simple. They run their offense to a T.’’
The networks may want to cancel the rest of the Knicks’ season. The teams three most recent games all aired on national TV and each was a blowout. But at least the Miami and Golden States encounters weren’t over after five minutes.
“It’s hard to keep coming up with excuses on why it continues to happen,’’ Anthony said. “We have to play basketball and not worry about whatever’s going on. We’re sitting making excuses about this or that. We’re just not making it happen and getting it done.’’
“We were able to get back in it [in the second quarter,] but the damage was already done,’’ Woodson said.
The Knicks were down 23-4 after six minutes. There was no energy on defense and plenty of misfires and turnovers on offense. The Knicks forced the Bulls into just three turnovers — the fewest in Bulls’ history.
Trailing 14-1, Smith bricked a jumper, the 6-foot-11 Noah seized the rebound and outran the Knicks roster for a fast-break layup. It was the signature moment of the misery.
“We shouldn’t be waiting on how a team starts,’’ Smith said. “I don’t understand coming out and seeing how someone else is going to play. You come out and dictate the game early like they did. They average 85, 90 points and scored over 100 on us. It’s unacceptable.’’
“At this point I don’t have an answer for you,’’ Chandler said. “I can’t explain it, in all honesty.’’