Advertisement

Derrick Rose bounces back, excels in crunch time to lift Bulls over Thunder

Eric Freeman

Derrick Rose entered Thursday's home game between the Chicago Bulls and Oklahoma City Thunder mired in one of the worst scoring runs of his career. The 2011 MVP had not scored in double figures for three consecutive games, a first for him that looks even worse considering he hadn't reached 20 in his first two games, either. Those struggles are somewhat predictable given Rose's recovery from the orbital fracture he suffered this preseason, but they have been severe enough to inspire a new round of speculation over his future with the Bulls and whether he can play at a high level after so many injuries.

[Play Yahoo Daily Fantasy and get a 100% deposit bonus with your first deposit]

Rose's performance vs. OKC should at least manage to change the conversation for a few days. The Bulls point guard had his best game of the season by a wide margin, scoring a team-high 29 points on 12-of-25 shooting and adding seven assists (with two turnovers) to lead his team to a 104-98 win. Rose also excelled when it mattered most, scoring 12 points in the fourth and 10 in the final 3:35 of a contest that was tied as late as the 3:11 mark.

Rose also won the post-game scene by wearing a t-shirt featuring the highly meme-able face his son P.J. made after Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals last spring.

So what was different for Rose on Thursday? The biggest thing may have been mere variance, because Rose knocked down six of his eight pull-up jumper and floater attempts in the fourth quarter. Those shots are usually considered low-percentage looks for a guard, and Rose has often struggled to make them with any consistency as his MVP-level athleticism has waned. It would be very optimistic to say that Rose has turned a corner — the more likely situation is that he just had a very good night.

It also may have helped that he was often guarded by one of the worst defenders in the league:

None of this context means that Rose's 29-point outburst shouldn't be celebrated or welcomed by a Bulls team that lost by 25 on Tuesday. To the contrary, Rose has dealt with so many injuries over the past few years that we should embrace any time he plays so well. But that history has also changed what Rose can do. Until these nights become commonplace, it's probably best to savor them instead of treating them as returns to form. The superstar we once knew most likely isn't coming back.

[Follow Dunks Don't Lie on Tumblr: The best slams from all of basketball]

Meanwhile, the two All-NBA talents on the other side must face their own doubters. Both Kevin Durant (33 points on 13-of-29 shooting) and Russell Westbrook (20 points on 7-of-18 shooting) put in inefficient scoring performances despite nice contributions in other areas, which wouldn't be so concerning if the style of play did not resemble one they were supposed to have left behind with the transition from the fired Scott Brooks to new head coach Billy Donovan. Durant and Westbrook accounted for just under 56 percent of OKC's field-goal attempts, a mark of extreme imbalance that raises questions of how many habits these stars must break to adopt a different offensive approach. Can Donovan oversee that change effectively? (It admittedly did not inspire confidence to see OKC not foul Chicago down just six with 30 seconds on the clock.)

Although it makes sense for such talented players to dominate the ball, the Thunder were have supposed to have significantly more options this season with Enes Kanter and Dion Waiters taking on larger roles. The issue is not one of predictability, as Durant suggested after Wednesday night's loss to the undefeated Toronto Raptors, but the necessary variance that comes with expecting so much from two people. The league's most explosive duo could very well combine for an efficient 80 points on Sunday vs. the Phoenix Suns, because they're just that good. Unfortunately, that's not what the team was supposed to be aiming for in 2015-16.

- - - - - - -

Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at efreeman_ysports@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!