Derrick Rose Shows Flashes of Former Dominance and Other Friday NBA Takeaways
President Barack Obama offered a prescient assessment of the Chicago Bulls on Friday morning, telling ESPN’s Colin Cowherd he believes his home team has what it takes to keep LeBron James from making his fifth consecutive NBA Finals.
"The [Cleveland Cavaliers] are starting to jell," he said, via CBSChicago.com's Cody Westerlund. "I just like [head coach Tom] Thibodeau as a coach. The guy's tough. They play hard. [Joakim] Noah's a fighter. If [Derrick] Rose—even if he doesn't come back to MVP level—if he's playing at an All-Star level, I think the Bulls can beat the Cavs this year."
The former MVP was certainly in All-Star form Friday night, tallying a season-high 31 points in Chicago's 115-106 victory against the Portland Trail Blazers.
He extended the lead to six points with 50.4 seconds remaining in regulation, burying a cold-blooded mid-range jumper off the dribble and capping off his most aggressive offensive performance in a very long time.
"The icing on Derrick Rose's delicious cake. 31 points for Rose in the win. RT @gifdsports D-Rose Dagger https://t.co/2OAt9fr2TB
— ThatNBALotteryPick (@ThatNBAPick) December 13, 2014"
It was Rose's first 30-point outing since March 12, 2012—which also happens to be the last time the 26-year-old appeared in nine straight games. And while opposing point guard Damian Lillard drilled seven three-pointers en route to a 35-point outing of his own, Rose did his damage in just 32 minutes.
"When he's aggressive like that, there's no one like him," Thibodeau told reporters after the game.
The sixth-year veteran was in attack mode all night, knifing through Portland's defense and finishing with an array of floaters and layups.
"The biggest thing he has going for him is he's young," Thibodeau added. "He's got his confidence going."
Now 14-8 for the season, Thibodeau's Bulls are 10-4 with Rose in the lineup. Even without many MVP-caliber performances on which to hang his hat (so far), Rose remains immeasurably valuable to this team. His playmaking is essential to any hope Chicago has for a deep postseason run. If Rose keeps shooting like he did Friday night, President Obama just might be right about this club's chances against the Cavaliers.
Rose scored 23 points in 24 minutes during Wednesday's 105-80 win over the Brooklyn Nets.
"Y'all are the ones that's going to be surprised by the way that I'm playing," he told reporters afterward. "Just give me a little minute.
"I know where I'm going to be. I know how good I am, and I'm very confident with my craft and how good I am, period. So y'all are the ones that's going to be surprised with how I'm playing in a little while."
One naturally wonders how consistently Rose will have dominant outings.
If healthy, he could very well push his average to 20 points per contest after scoring 17.2 points per contest through his first 14 appearances. Even semi-regular scoring outbursts would go a long way toward rounding out an attack that's also headlined by Jimmy Butler and Pau Gasol.
Rose doesn't have to do it all by himself. He just has to be himself.
That won't guarantee a title, but it ensures a place in the conversation.
Around the Association
Swaggy P's Heroics Carry Lakers, Kobe Speaks On Practice Outburst
Nick Young salvaged a broken possession in the waning moments of overtime, beating the shot clock with a deep go-ahead three-pointer that left the San Antonio Spurs trailing 112-110 with just 7.4 seconds remaining. It was Young's sixth three-pointer en route to a 29-point outing.
Somehow, though, Kobe Bryant still seemed to be the big story. Now just nine points away from passing Michael Jordan and becoming the league's third all-time leading scorer, the 36-year-old also made recent headlines with a profanity-laced tirade directed at teammates at a practice session (and caught on video).
Via ESPN's postgame coverage, Bryant said, "Trash talk has become a lost art I think."
He wasn't entirely proud of what went down, though.
If anyone has the capital to take teammates to task, it's Bryant. But even legends have to consider optics in this day and age.
Cavs Defense Has Long Way to Go
The Cleveland Cavaliers lost their second straight game after an eight-game winning streak that seemingly signaled a turnaround was afoot. James' 41 points somehow weren't enough to overcome the New Orleans Pelicans' offensive onslaught, and Cleveland fell 119-114.
Anthony Davis left the game after seven minutes with a chest contusion, but Tyreke Evans and Ryan Anderson combined for 61 points—thanks in large part to the latter making eight of his 14 three-point attempts.
Both teams were humming offensively, but the Cavaliers are the ones who were preordained legitimate contenders. They'll need to start getting some stops before they earn that designation.
Injuries Piling Up for the Holidays
Davis' chest injury wasn't the only bad news on Friday.
New York Knicks guard Iman Shumpert dislocated his left shoulder against the Boston Celtics and left the game in the second quarter. ESPNNewYork.com's Ian Begley reports that, "There is no timetable for his return at this point."
The Chicago Bulls announced that rookie forward Doug McDermott will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee to address pain and swelling that emerged toward the end of November. According to ESPNChicago.com's Nick Friedell, "It is unclear how much time McDermott will have to miss."
Meanwhile, Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut had his right knee drained on Friday and will miss two games this weekend before being reevaluated on Monday, per The Associated Press (via ESPN.com). He's currently battling tendinitis but has suffered a variety of ailments over the years.
Streaks Come And Go
The Los Angeles Clippers' nine-game winning streak was snapped by a 104-96 loss to the Washington Wizards, and that wasn't the only trend that came to an end on Friday night.
The New York Knicks mercifully broke out of a 10-game losing streak with their 101-95 win against the Boston Celtics. Now 5-20 this season, head coach Derek Fisher and Co. probably aren't celebrating, but this franchise will take anything it can get at this point.
With the Clippers claiming their sixth loss of the season, the Atlanta Hawks now own the league's second-longest winning streak behind the Golden State Warriors' 14-game marathon. Friday's 87-81 victory over the Orlando Magic extended the Hawks' winning streak to nine games.
They're Back
The Oklahoma City Thunder won their fifth straight game, this time by a convincing 111-92 margin against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Though reigning MVP Kevin Durant still faces minutes restrictions after returning from a foot fracture earlier this month, he and All-Star sidekick Russell Westbrook are healthy and hitting their stride.
After a 3-12 start, it once seemed like this team might struggle to secure playoff position given the stiff competition out West. But with the No. 8-seeded Phoenix Suns' 105-103 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Friday, OKC now sits just 1.5 games away from a playoff spot.
And there's plenty of basketball to be played this season. Barring any more injuries or setbacks, KD and Co. will strut into the postseason like nothing ever happened.
Grizzlies Claw Way to Third Straight Win in 2OT
It probably shouldn’t have been this hard to for the now 18-4 Memphis Grizzlies. But a win is a win, and their 113-107 double-overtime marathon with the Charlotte Hornets was certainly that.
Vince Carter’s three-pointer tied the game with 4.5 seconds remaining in the first overtime period, and point guard Mike Conley took over after that—tallying six of his 19 points in the second overtime and helping Memphis finally create a little distance.
Charlotte fell to 6-16 this season, returning to subpar form after wins against the Knicks and Celtics briefly interrupted a 10-game losing streak.
