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NBA -- The Return takes flight
By Kelly Manalo
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 18 Oct 2013
CHICAGO -- This city waited a full year for its star, Derrick Rose, to return to NBA basketball. And the wait has been well worth it.
The former MVP and 3-time All-Star finally stepped foot on the United Center floor for the first time after a 17-month layoff due to an ACL tear on his left knee. Rose already has three preseason games under his belt but Wednesday night's tiff was his first in front of an expectant, eager home crowd.
Rose delivered a scintillating performance and his Bulls dispatched the Detroit Pistons with relative ease, 96-81.
One of the questions plaguing Rose's comeback was the concern regarding his ability to recapture his pre-injury explosiveness and the trauma that might cause him to be tentative in playing the kind of aggressive basketball that has become his calling card.
Rose's first two preseason games went along without any problems but doubts surfaced when he sat out the Bulls' NBA-mandated duel against the Washington Wizards in Rio De Janiero, Brazil because of knee soreness.
All the fears went away again Wednesday night at the United Center where Rose played hard and scored his first bucket through a hard driving layup. He took some hits and spills but he dusted himself each time, scoring eight points in the opening quarter where the Bulls took a 24-16 lead and never looked back.
When asked about being tentative and his explosiveness, Rose said "the tentativeness is gone." He also believes he is "way more explosive now."
Rose played 22 minutes overall in the Bulls victory. His biggest play happened at the end of the second quarter. With about 15 seconds left before the halftime break, the Bulls ran an isolation play for Rose where he rocked his defender --- an overwhelmed rookie named Peyton Siva --- and drove to the lane for a traditional 3-point play, getting the harm and the hoop. The crowd erupted and soon after the chants of "MVP!! MVP!!" echoed throughout the arena like it was 2011.
Rose finished the game with 22 points to lead all scores. He did not play in the fourth quarter, but the Bulls were up 25 and the game was well beyond the Pistons' reach.
This may only be a preseason game, but Rose has shown that he is ready to guide the Bulls back to the playoffs and be contenders against the two-time defending champions Miami Heat.
The Bulls will play the Indiana Pacers in their fifth preseason game on Friday. They are currently undefeated at 5-0. (KM)
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Kelly Manalo.
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