CHICAGO -- It's a relatively sample size, but after a sterling 22-point effort in his third preseason game Wednesday night at the United Center, it's safe to assume that Derrick Rose is back.
The Rose saga dubbed as The Return hit a minor snag last week when he sat out the Bulls-Wizards match at the HSBC Arena in Rio De Janiero, Brazil due to knee soreness. All of the hoopla turned out to be a whole lot of nothing as Rose flashed his vintage form and explosive first step during Chicago's fairly easy 96-81 romp over the Detroit Pistons.
Rose, who missed the entire 2012-13 season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) on the left knee, skipped the Brazil game because of a soreness that was possibly caused by being confined in a pressurized cabin for the 11 or so hours flight from the Windy City to South America.
Muscular fatigue cold have been a factor as well as Rose continues to reacquaint himself to the incredible pace of the NBA game. The weather in Rio might have been a factor, too. When precipitation is high, someone with a surgically-repaired knee tend to experience arthritic symptoms.
Either way, the Bulls did the prudent thing and held out their star point guard.
Meanwhile, Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls host the Indiana Pacers Friday night at the United Center. The Bulls are 4-0 in preseason play while the heavily re-tooled Pacers, who are fresh off their Global Games trip to Manila, Philippines where they played the Houston Rockets, are winless in four outings. (JF)
Photo: D-Rose is full throttle.
Comments
Share your thoughts on the above article by James Floyd.