On Saturday night Derrick Rose dropped 32 points on the Atlanta Hawks in a 101-98 overtime victory. The 32 points is Rose’s season career high(he scored 36 in the first round of the playoffs against Boston last year). “I guess I did what I’m supposed to do out there tonight and we were able to win,” Rose said. Rose was at his best despite needing a cortisone shot for pain in his right rib cage. He’s showing the explosive play that lifted him to the Rookie of the Year award last season after being limited by an inflamed tendon in his right ankle. “My ankle’s better,” said Rose, who buried 14 of 24 shots. “That’s really it.”
The Bulls have played confused on offense and lackluster defense this season. The Bulls have yet to repeat the level of play they showed in last years playoffs.
Some of the decline could be due to the lack of Ben Gordon. The trio of Rose, Luol Deng, and Joakim Noah are capable of playing smart, efficient basketball. The win against Atlanta proves their tenacity, while the lost to the Nets last week shows their immaturity.
On Monday the Bulls host the Sacremento Kings and their former Memphis point guard rookie, Tyreke Evans who is way ahead in the Rookie of the Year running. The Bulls should win this one if they play against the Kings the way they played Atlanta in the second half.
Earlier this season Rose said he wasn’t “cutting his hair” until he started to play better. Somewhere in Chicago a barber chair just became open.
