| |
|
Out-of-sync MVP hopes to play better
By Scott Au PhilBoxing.com Sat, 14 Apr 2012

CHICAGO -- The rust was expected. After all, he had missed 12 straight games this seaosn and 23 overall after dealing with issues concerning his toe, ankle and groin.
But not even Derrick Rose, the league's reigning MVP, could have imagined how bad his performance would be following his return Thursday night at the United Center against bitter rivals the Miami Heat.
Well, as they say, stuff happens.
And that's exactly what happened in the Bulls's improbable 96-86 overtime victory over the Heat. Rose had a forgettable 2-point performance. He made just 1-of-13 field goals and missed all three of his 3s. And he did not shoot a single free throw.
Rose did have eight assists in nearly 26 minutes of play, but he was also mired by three turnovers and the Bulls were outscored by 27 points when he was on the floor.
Bulls fans need not worry, though. The shy franchise player vowed to do better late in the regular season and into the postseason, where Chicago appears as the very likely No.1 seed overall.
"I'm just trying to get my rhythm back," he told the Chicago Tribune. "I've had worse games than this. These games right here will make me a better player, a stronger player. I'm just happy we got the win. That's the only thing that matters to me. C.J. (Watson) and the other bench guys played great. They're the reason we won."
Indeed, the Bulls bench are amazingly spectacular this season, giving the Bulls a 16-7 record without Rose and a 7-2 mark without Luol Deng, who is nursing broken ligaments in his left wrist.
But make no mistake, the Bulls need Rose to play better to sustain a deep playoffs run. (Scott Au)
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Scott Au.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
‘CALM’ PERO READY TO FACE MILLER’S FIRE , Tue, 21 Apr 2026Hall of Famer Rafael Marquez's son Aaron wins professional debut By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Tue, 21 Apr 2026Top Super Featherweights Tsendy Erdenebat & Cobia Breedy Battle in 10-Round Main Event of ProBoxTV’s ‘The Contender Series’ at Live! Casino Hotel Maryland , Tue, 21 Apr 2026Registration Now Open for the Return of the Butterfly Brawl at the Iconic Santa Monica Pier – August 22, 2026 , Tue, 21 Apr 2026Brackets Set for USA Boxing Elite High Performance Team at World Boxing Cup - Stage One , Tue, 21 Apr 2026Team Altagracia Primus Praedia Land Holding champ in Pacquiao chess By Marlon Bernardino, , Tue, 21 Apr 20262-Division World Champion Daniel Ponce De León Confirmed for Ninth Annual Box Fan Expo, During Cinco De Mayo Weekend, Saturday May 2, in Las Vegas , Tue, 21 Apr 20262026 NBA Playoffs: First Round Game 1 Recap By Reylan Loberternos, , Mon, 20 Apr 2026FIDE Master Ivan Travis Cu gains a total of 36 rating points, bringing his FIDE rating to 2321 by May after completing 2 chess tournaments in Spain By Marlon Bernardino, , Mon, 20 Apr 2026Irish super middleweight prospect Tommy ‘The Governor’ Hyde Improves to 15-0 with 10th KO , Mon, 20 Apr 2026IBA Bare-Knuckle Director attends historic Gambian Elite National Championships , Sun, 19 Apr 2026Rosales stops Obedencio in RFL 4 By Lito delos Reyes, , Sun, 19 Apr 2026Atty. Aldwin Alegre shines in 23rd Bangkok Chess Club By Marlon Bernardino, , Sun, 19 Apr 2026Suslenkov knocks out Mann to headline explosive IBA Pro 16 night in Serpukhov , Sat, 18 Apr 2026AJ Manas off to a hot start in Indonesia By Marlon Bernardino, , Sat, 18 Apr 2026Camila Zamorano WBC female champion health update By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Sat, 18 Apr 2026PH Athletics team shines in the 2026 Singapore Open Track and Field Championships By Marlon Bernardino, , Sat, 18 Apr 2026JESSE RODRIGUEZ CHALLENGES ANTONIO VARGAS FOR WBC BANTAMWEIGHT WORLD TITLE IN GLENDALE ON JUNE 13 , Sat, 18 Apr 2026WEIGH-IN RESULTS AND PHOTOS FROM SD FIGHT NIGHT: FAMILY BUSINESS - TOMORROW, APRIL 18 AT FRONTWAVE ARENA IN OCEANSIDE, CALIF. , Sat, 18 Apr 2026OFFICIAL ‘REVOLUTION’ WEIGHTS FROM CORK, IRELAND , Sat, 18 Apr 2026MIKHAIL GRIGORYAN DEFEATS JEO SANTISIMA, CROWNED NEW IBF ASIA LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION IN SERPUKHOV By Dong Secuya, , Sat, 18 Apr 2026Ra’eese Aleem Vows Victory Over Angelo Leo Ahead of May 9th IBF Title Fight in Atlanta , Sat, 18 Apr 2026WCM Nika Juris Nicolas 10th in Serbia By Marlon Bernardino, , Sat, 18 Apr 2026JESSE ‘BAM’ RODRIGUEZ PENS LONG TERM EXTENSION WITH EDDIE HEARN AND MATCHROOM , Sat, 18 Apr 2026Hermie Rivera: A Fil-Am Original By Emmanuel Rivera, RRT, , Fri, 17 Apr 2026 |

|
|
|
|
|