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Miami (27-24) at Chicago (23-29)
Derrick Rose has done a lot for the Chicago Bulls as a rookie, but the Miami Heat found out the point guard still has a lot to learn when the teams met for the first time this season.
Seven weeks later, Rose has become an awfully quick study.
Rose has the Bulls playing their most consistent basketball of the season heading into the All-Star break, and on Thursday they’ll look to win for the sixth time in eight games when they host the Heat.
Like Miami superstar Dwyane Wade, Rose grew up in Chicago, and with the No. 1 pick in the 2008 draft the Bulls (23-29) jumped at the chance to snap up the local product that led Memphis to the national championship game in his only collegiate season.
The Bulls’ starting point guard since opening night, Rose has given the team an explosive presence in the backcourt, leading all rookies in assists (6.3 per game) and ranking second in points (16.9).
Yet, one of Rose’s poorest performances came when Chicago visited Miami (27-24) on Dec. 26. Rose went 3-of-14 from the floor, finishing with 10 points, three assists and five turnovers as the Heat rolled to a 90-77 win.
“I was trying to be aggressive and the shots just weren’t falling for me,” Rose said after that loss. “I was thinking too much out there.”
Lately, though, Rose has looked like a heady veteran. He’s averaging 18.4 points on 57.1 percent shooting as the Bulls have won five of seven to climb back in the Eastern Conference playoff race. He has 47 assists compared to just 14 turnovers in that span.
Rose had at least 20 points for the third straight game Tuesday as he scored 23 without committing a turnover, and he led Chicago back from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit against Detroit. Rose scored nine points in the final four minutes, then found Ben Gordon for the go-ahead 3-pointer with 16.7 seconds left in the Bulls’ 107-102 win.
His night was capped off with an elbow to the head from Detroit’s Antonio McDyess that knocked him out for the game’s final seconds, though he’s expected to be fine for Thursday.
“I’m good, I’m good,” Rose said. “Just a minor headache.”
The Bulls selected Rose first overall instead of Michael Beasley, who was grabbed by Miami with the No. 2 pick. Beasley had 14 points in the Heat’s first meeting with Chicago, but instead of being remembered as the first matchup between the draft’s top two selections, the end of the game was filled with flared tempers.
Miami coach Erik Spoelstra called a timeout with a 13-point lead and 30 seconds left to take Wade, Udonis Haslem and Mario Chalmers out of the game.
“That is something only done to disrespect the opponent,” said Bulls forward Andres Nocioni, who has a history of delivering hard fouls to Wade and also leveled Beasley late in that game.
Spoelstra defended the move, but Chicago coach Vinny Del Negro promised to remember it.
“We’ll play them again,” Del Negro said.
Miami was in the midst of a four-game winning streak after that victory, but lately it’s been struggling. The Heat have dropped five of seven as they’ve often failed to get solid contributions from anyone but Wade.
Wade had 33 points on Tuesday in Denver, but Miami fell behind by 16 at halftime and lost 99-82.
“That’s a championship level team that we did not give the proper respect coming into this game, certainly not in the first quarter,” Spoelstra said. “We showed them the proper respect in the second half.”
Wade is averaging 16.6 points on 36.1 percent shooting in his last five games at the United Center, where Miami has lost three straight.
Derrick Rose has done a lot for the Chicago Bulls as a rookie, but the Miami Heat found out the point guard still has a lot to learn when the teams met for the first time this season.
Seven weeks later, Rose has become an awfully quick study.
Rose has the Bulls playing their most consistent basketball of the season heading into the All-Star break, and on Thursday they’ll look to win for the sixth time in eight games when they host the Heat.
Like Miami superstar Dwyane Wade, Rose grew up in Chicago, and with the No. 1 pick in the 2008 draft the Bulls (23-29) jumped at the chance to snap up the local product that led Memphis to the national championship game in his only collegiate season.
The Bulls’ starting point guard since opening night, Rose has given the team an explosive presence in the backcourt, leading all rookies in assists (6.3 per game) and ranking second in points (16.9).
Yet, one of Rose’s poorest performances came when Chicago visited Miami (27-24) on Dec. 26. Rose went 3-of-14 from the floor, finishing with 10 points, three assists and five turnovers as the Heat rolled to a 90-77 win.
“I was trying to be aggressive and the shots just weren’t falling for me,” Rose said after that loss. “I was thinking too much out there.”
Lately, though, Rose has looked like a heady veteran. He’s averaging 18.4 points on 57.1 percent shooting as the Bulls have won five of seven to climb back in the Eastern Conference playoff race. He has 47 assists compared to just 14 turnovers in that span.
Rose had at least 20 points for the third straight game Tuesday as he scored 23 without committing a turnover, and he led Chicago back from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit against Detroit. Rose scored nine points in the final four minutes, then found Ben Gordon for the go-ahead 3-pointer with 16.7 seconds left in the Bulls’ 107-102 win.
His night was capped off with an elbow to the head from Detroit’s Antonio McDyess that knocked him out for the game’s final seconds, though he’s expected to be fine for Thursday.
“I’m good, I’m good,” Rose said. “Just a minor headache.”
The Bulls selected Rose first overall instead of Michael Beasley, who was grabbed by Miami with the No. 2 pick. Beasley had 14 points in the Heat’s first meeting with Chicago, but instead of being remembered as the first matchup between the draft’s top two selections, the end of the game was filled with flared tempers.
Miami coach Erik Spoelstra called a timeout with a 13-point lead and 30 seconds left to take Wade, Udonis Haslem and Mario Chalmers out of the game.
“That is something only done to disrespect the opponent,” said Bulls forward Andres Nocioni, who has a history of delivering hard fouls to Wade and also leveled Beasley late in that game.
Spoelstra defended the move, but Chicago coach Vinny Del Negro promised to remember it.
“We’ll play them again,” Del Negro said.
Miami was in the midst of a four-game winning streak after that victory, but lately it’s been struggling. The Heat have dropped five of seven as they’ve often failed to get solid contributions from anyone but Wade.
Wade had 33 points on Tuesday in Denver, but Miami fell behind by 16 at halftime and lost 99-82.
“That’s a championship level team that we did not give the proper respect coming into this game, certainly not in the first quarter,” Spoelstra said. “We showed them the proper respect in the second half.”
Wade is averaging 16.6 points on 36.1 percent shooting in his last five games at the United Center, where Miami has lost three straight.
