NEW YORK -- Vinny Del Negro's postgame press conference had an awkward tone from the start.

There were several different things that reporters wanted to question the Bulls head coach about, but nobody spoke up. After a few more muted moments, a puzzled Del Negro finally said "Anybody?"

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AP Photo/Frank Franklin IIDerrick Rose continued his strong play with 29 points against the Knicks on Wednesday in New York.

It wasn't that reporters didn't want to discuss the game; it was just that there were seemingly more pressing issues to deal with first. Like, was the deal for John Salmons done?

Del Negro didn't want to bite on that specific topic, preferring to focus on the fact that his team had clawed its way back to a win and defeated the Knicks for the second time in as many nights.

"We won, it was pretty man -- we won. That's all that matters. We won," the relieved head coach said. "We stunk in the first half ... second half we made some adjustments. We just started to get after it a little more. We started being more aggressive defensively. Which opened up the court a little bit and got some easy scores."

Considering the Bulls were playing without Salmons, who was left at the hotel as a deal with Milwaukee was being finalized, as well as injured center Joakim Noah, it's easy to see why the second year coach was in such a good mood. The Bulls are playing solid basketball, having won four of their last five. Derrick Rose's sore hip is getting better and he had another solid night, scoring 29 points. Taj Gibson continues to improve as he chipped in with 14 points and a career high 16 rebounds.

For all the positives that came out of Wednesday night's contest though, the only thing that people will remember about this night is that it was the night the Bulls made the first of what could be several moves in advance of the deadline by shipping Salmons off to Milwaukee.

"It didn't play [any] role," Rose said of Salmons' departure on the psyche of the team. "But right when you told me, it hit me. Knowing that, in this league, things can change. You can play with a person [and] the next day or a month or whatever he can be gone and your team can change. It's all about business up here -- I would love if he was my teammate, but I understand that it's a business and it's not up to me. It's up to the people in the front office."

While Del Negro wouldn't specifically discuss the impending Salmons deal, he did admit that it was always tough to say goodbye to a player.

"It's part of the business,” he said. “You hate it. But if it makes what we're trying to do here better in the long run with flexibility and having the ability to go out and get pieces around this team with the core nucleus that we're developing then it's the right thing to do. It's never easy. Especially when you're dealing with very good people with high character.

"But it's part of the business and guys understand that. You just hope when these things come about it works out for both sides, and both parties are happy. It doesn't always work that way, the way the economy is now and things going on in the league, but we can only control what we can with the Chicago Bulls and what's best for the organization."

Rose has faith that the organization will get the team where it needs to be.

"We trust in the people that's in the front office," he said. "We know if they're getting somebody, we know the person's going to come in and I guess give us even more. When John and [Brad Miller] came in last year they gave us more than what we had [before]."

In this case, the cap space which would be created by Salmons' departure may, in fact, give the Bulls more than what they had before.

Gibson comes home: Taj Gibson grew up in the New York City area, so it shouldn't surprise you that he had one of his best games of the season, there's little doubt that he wanted to play well in Madison Square Garden.

"I'm just happy we got the win," Gibson said. I'm going to play and try to just do what I can. It's about being productive on the court. It's about helping the team win. Making the playoffs and trying to fight our way through the players."

Even Gibson was a little taken aback with the Salmons' news, though.

"I thought I saw him in the locker room, but then guys were like, "No, that wasn't John." It was just crazy," he said. "Each time I came running in and out of the locker room, I was like, "John?" And they were like, "No, he's not here." It's tough. I really like John. He's a great player."

Line of the night: Deng, when I asked him whether he would be surprised if the team made another move before Thursday's deadline: "I don't know," he said before pausing. "I really wouldn't, no. It seems like every team is trying to make moves. Sometimes I don't understand it, but it's the NBA."