Unmasked Rose helps Bulls to victory
Bulls fans have been waiting for the real Derrick Rose to show up all season.
Well, Rose took off the mask he'd been wearing on Thursday. He didn't exactly return to MVP form without it, but he did play well in the fourth quarter and helped the Bulls end a three-game losing streak by holding off the Los Angeles Clippers 83-80 at the United Center.
Rose came out for the third quarter without the protective face mask he'd been wearing all season to protect a broken left orbital bone. After the game, he said doctors cleared him a few days ago to play without the mask, but his mask-free performance was something of an accident.
“Actually, I just went out there (after halftime) and I forgot it,” Rose said. “So I said, ‘Forget it, I'm just going to leave it off.'”
Asked if he felt more comfortable without the mask on, shrugged off the question and indicated no long-term decision has been made about it.
“I couldn't tell. My eye's still the same way,” he said. “I'm just happy I can go to sleep without thinking about a (gosh darn) loss, so I'm happy about that.
“Who knows? Next game, I may have it on, I may have it off, depending on how I'm feeling.”
For the second straight home game, the Bulls squandered a 16-point lead. This time, they hung on to win an ugly game when Chris Paul's potential tying 3-pointer missed just before the final buzzer. The Clippers (13-10) scored a season-low 54 points through three quarters, then hit 8 of 11 shots from 3-point range in the fourth to tie the score briefly.
Rose had a rough first half, with no points or assists in just under 11 minutes of action. One time, he drove the baseline and tried to throw a behind-the-back pass, but got the ball caught on his hip, came down and was called for traveling.
His minutes were lower than usual before he played the entire fourth quarter. Coach Fred Hoiberg said Rose asked to come out of the game early in the third quarter.
“I really don't know (why he played fewer minutes),” Rose said. “The second group was rolling. They were playing pretty well. When Aaron (Brooks) came in, they were playing well. I think coach was just thinking about a back-to-back if he needs me in the fourth.”
The Bulls (12-8) took command early in the second quarter with a 16-0 run. Pau Gasol ended the first quarter with a 3-pointer, then the Bulls dominated the early part of the second quarter using a lineup of Brooks, Kirk Hinrich, Doug McDermott, Joakim Noah and Nikola Mirotic.
Brooks didn't play at all in the previous three games, but brought a nice spark on Thursday, scoring 10 points off the bench. Gasol finished with 24 points and hit 3 baskets from 3-point range for the first time in his NBA career.
Blake Griffin was the lone bright spot for the Clippers, with 18 points and 11 rebounds, but he was ejected at the 5:59 mark of the third quarter for a flagrant foul against Taj Gibson. Gibson pump-faked under the basket, Griffin took a big swing at the ball and missed, clocking Gibson in the face on the follow-through. After checking the video, referees ruled it a grade 2 flagrant foul, which means an automatic ejection.
Trailing 64-54 heading into the fourth, the Clippers tied it up at 66-66 with 7:20 left when Josh Smith knocked down 2 straight 3-pointers. The Bulls never gave up the lead, though. Jimmy Butler's jumper broke the tie, then Gibson dropped in a follow slam and Rose added a 3-pointer from the top of the key to make it 73-66 with 5:15 left.
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