Bulls Preseason Game No. 8: Derrick Rose scores 27, Bulls falter late
86. Final. 112. 24. 113
After returning to the game of basketball from a 18-month absence after winning three consecutive NBA titles, Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan made his return official with two simple words, “I’m back.” After back-to-back stellar performances to cap off this year’s preseason, Derrick Rose could make that same claim MJ did back during the 1994-95 season.
Take away the fourth quarter from Friday night’s preseason finale and most would have been pleased with how well Derrick Rose looked and how well the Bulls played after a first half where they gave up 64 points to an eventual lottery-bound team in the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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Now put in that fourth quarter.
The Bulls shot 6-for-15 from the floor, turned the ball over four times, scored just 21 points and blew an 11-point lead in a 113-112 loss to Minnesota in the preseason finale for the Bulls.
What was shaping up to be a pleasant ending to a preseason that saw some minor bumps in the road, turned into a sour taste in the mouth for players, fans and supporters.
Outside of the final quarter, the Bulls looked great after the break, including the Bulls’ No. 1 factor heading into the season on Wednesday (no pun intended).
Rose looked like a man who was coming off a 30-point performance earlier in the week with a quick nine-point start in the game’s opening quarter.
After a quiet second quarter, Rose lit the Timberwolves up for 11 points in the third quarter alone and provided some more glimpses of the old Derrick Rose.
Between the quick bursts of speed and the array of ways Rose can put the ball in the basket, Rose is once again becoming the nightmare for teams defensively that he was once was before the knee issues slowed his rise to NBA superstardom.
"“I feel like I’m in a good place. Just missing two years, coming back and being able to play against all these great players and really go up against them,” Rose said. “I don’t know if they would be able to give the same if they were in my shoes, but the situation happened with me and all I could do is try to be motivated by it and move in the right direction every day and stay positive.”-Derrick Rose on his performance, CSNChicago.com"
Rose finished the night with 27 points in 32 minutes of action on 12-for-23 shooting, hit a trio of three-pointers, only turned the ball over once and dished out five assists in the loss.
The encouraging performance from Rose contributed to covering up the rest of the Bulls shooting 27-for-63 from the field, including 10-for-29 from three, and turning the ball over 17 times (nine in the first quarter alone).
Thoughts + what’s next for the Bulls
Sure, the finish to the preseason for the Bulls wasn’t too great, but it’s a great sign when your injury-prone playmaker is looking like his old self again.
The jumper really started to fall for Rose down the stretch of the preseason and his explosiveness in the open floor is really making itself known again.
What’s also a great sign? Your All-NBA First Team center playing 32 minutes and scoring six points, grabbing 17 rebounds and dishing out nine assists after reports swirled for the past few days that his knee issues could string out all season long.
Joakim Noah really looked great on Friday night and showed no signs of any knee issues after having surgery in the summer.
The Bulls move on to the regular season and their opener on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks and Carmelo Anthony, the star who shunned the Bulls during this past offseason for a lucrative contract extension to stay with the Knicks.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 CT and will be the first of 25 national TV appearances for the Bulls in the 2014-2015 season.
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