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Chicago Bulls: Derrick Rose Shines In Win Over OKC Thunder

By James D. Tillman III

Nov 5, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) dribble the ball past Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) during the second half at the United Center. The Bulls won 104-98. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 5, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) dribble the ball past Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) during the second half at the United Center. The Bulls won 104-98. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /
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Life hasn’t been a walk in park these days for Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose. After becoming the youngest player to win the MVP Award back in 2011, a series of season-ending knee injuries has sent his career in a different direction than expected.

Gone are the days of watching Rose inflict damage on opposing teams with blistering speed as he attacked the rim at will with an array of layups and thunderous dunks that left fans breathless. Gone are the days when it was a certainty what you would get from Rose on a nightly basis.

And after playing in just 61 contests over the past three seasons prior to the start of the 2015-16 campaign — combined with a recent stretch of games in which he tallied just 18 points on 28 percent shooting — there were recent reports that surfaced regarding a possible breakup between Rose and the Bulls. As is the case in sports, the best way for an athlete to silence his critics, even if it is for just a moment, is to have a performance that reminds everyone of what you are capable of bringing to the table.

So when the Bulls hosted the Oklahoma City Thunder on Nov. 5, the matchup was an opportunity for Rose to answer the bell. Unfortunately for Rose, the game did not begin on a high note as he missed on seven of his first eight attempts from the field.

But when the Bulls needed someone to step up and take over after they had blown a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter, Rose delivered the goods. Sure, Rose scored 12 points on 5-for-8 shooting in the final frame, but what impressed me the most was the timing of most of those points. You see, 10 of those 12 points came during the final three and a half minutes of the game, which allowed the Bulls to come away with a 104-98 victory.

Rose finished with 29 points and seven assists on 12-for-25 shooting overall in 37 minutes of action, all of which are season-highs. It is also worth noting that Rose was the only starter with a positive plus-minus rating (+4).

When asked about his thoughts on Rose’s performance, here is what Fred Hoiberg had to say, as Chicago Tribune’s K.C. Johnson reports:

"“Derrick was phenomenal obviously. I’m really, really happy for him. He had had a couple of tough shooting nights. He has been putting a lot of extra work in. To go out and have that kind of performance should be huge for him and huge for our team.”"

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And while this outing represents Rose’s best game of the young season, he understands the importance of not putting too much stock into a single game, as he told ESPN’s Jon Greenberg:

"“No relief, because I know it’s a process. As long as I know it’s a process, there’s going to be ups and downs. Just because there’s a high right now, it’s not a relief. I still have to work and get the most out of every day.”"

That being said, it is obvious that Rose is still capable of having the occasional breakout performance. But the bigger question moving forward is whether or not he can string together multiple games of this nature. The answer to that will come when the Bulls welcome the Minnesota Timberwolves to the United Center on Nov. 7.

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