Derrick Rose stated he would never forget how the Pacers celebrated after their last match-up. Apparently the young superstar needs to work on his revenge tactic just a bit.
Rose and the Bulls avenged their loss by throttling the Pacers 92-72 on Monday night. in a game largely hyped as the “revenge game” for the Pacers being a bit too exuberant following their 95-90 victory in January. While many were expecting a performance of epic proportions Rose, the youngest player ever to be crowned MVP, ultimately came up flat.
While on the surface he had the type of game you might expect from your point guard with 13 points and nine assists, he shot just 5-16 from the field and didn’t get to the free throw line much. Even when he did, he missed both attempts. On the other hand performances by Joakim Noah (17 rebounds, 9 points, 3 assists) and a bench that contributed 35 points on 15-of-28 shooting paced the Bulls on a night when most were focused on what was going to possibly transpire between Rose and the Pacers.
I’m a big fan of Derrick Rose, I rank him as the second best point guard in the game today (Chris Paul holds the number one spot). But his field goal percentage is scaring me just a bit as it has declined the last couple years since he entered the league. His increase in shot taking could be attributed to the news that Rip Hamilton went down with an injured shoulder. Once they redistribute I’m sure Deng will pick up some of the looks reserved for Hamilton with Ronnie Brewer getting a chance at the starting spot as well.
This isn’t a knock piece on Rose, just a thought. Hoping for a little more next time he “doesn’t forget” someone slighted him or his team.
