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Bulls Game No. 22: Derrick Rose drops 31 on Portland, Bulls win again at home

By Michael Whitlow

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24. Final. 106. 34. 115

Behind the first 30-point game from Derrick Rose since the 2011-2012 season, the Chicago Bulls outdueled the Portland Trail Blazers’ dynamic duo for their 14th victory in the first 22 games to start the year.

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I refuse to say it.

No. No way. I refuse to do it.

You know what, he’s earned it.

Ladies and gentlemen, Derrick Rose is back.

Rose put on a MVP-like display on national television against Portland on Friday night in Chicago, scoring 31 points on 14-of-24 shooting and dished out five assists in the first win for the Bulls in their last seven meetings against Portland.

While taking just two shots from long range in his 24 shot attempts, Rose looked like the superstar point guard of old against a team who crushed the Bulls during their annual “Circus Trip”.

"“I always say that’s what a player like myself is supposed to do. I put more pressure on myself than anybody else. I think I’m my hardest critic, and just going down, and be in that situation as a kid, those the shots that you think about. As a player that wants to get to get to the highest potential you possibly can, you want those shots. You want that on your resume.”-Derrick Rose on his own expectations, CSNChicago.com"

How good was Rose against Portland?

(I’m honestly shocked CSN Chicago’s Stacey King didn’t dub Rose to be “Derrick Stockton” after that beautiful transition dime to Nikola Mirotic in the second quarter.)

Along with Rose’s tremendous night at the office, he had reinforcements in the forms of Mirotic and Aaron Brooks. In 26 combined minutes for the two reserves, they scored 32 points on 12-of-19 shooting, grabbed 12 rebounds and dished out five assists.

Brooks also displayed a new-found and strong chemistry with Rose down the stretch of Friday’s game.

In the 33-point fourth quarter for the Bulls, Rose and Brooks combined for 22 of Chicago’s 33 points in the quarters, including a countless displays of floaters.

The Bulls needed every bit of their (regulation) season-high of 115 points on Friday night.

Why?

Portland’s dynamic 1-2 punch of Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge were both awesome for the Blazers (17-6) against the Bulls. Aldridge was literally on fire to start the game, scoring 21 of his 35 points in the first quarter alone. Lillard, a fellow adidas player with Rose, dropped 35 points on the Bulls, including a 7-of-11 performance(!) from long range.

Thoughts + what’s next for the Bulls

OK, three things:

  1. Derrick Rose has played in nine straight games. Yes, that has really happened, folks.
  2. Nikola Mirotic needs to play more than 19 minutes.
  3. Aaron Brooks and Derrick Rose should be on the floor more together.

The Brooks/Rose/Mirotic trio was tremendous on Friday. Rose played like it was 2011 again, Brooks couldn’t miss and Mirotic picked up the slack for Taj Gibson, who shot just 2-for-10 from the floor.

Friday wasn’t the best performance as a whole for the Bulls, but through 22 games, that may have been the best win so far this season.

(Reminder: Joakim Noah was nursing a sore ankle and didn’t play either.)

If you missed the classic duel between adidas’ two biggest stars, you can check it out here:

The Bulls (14-8), now the leaders in the Central Division by themselves, move on to a tough six-game stretch before the holiday, starting on Sunday evening down on South Beach against Luol Deng and the Miami Heat.

Tip-off from AmericanAirlines Arena is set for 5:00 PM CT on Sunday.

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