Bulls continue regular-season Heat hex
Go ahead and turn those playoff dreams back on, Bulls fans.
Early Thursday, Derrick Rose met the media for the first time since having surgery on his right knee and refused to rule out a playoff comeback.
Then at night, the Bulls did what they usually do — rise to the occasion in the regular season against the two-time defending champion Heat. The Bulls led by as many as 25 points en route to a 107-87 victory at the United Center.
This was the fourth time in the last three seasons the Bulls beat the Heat without Rose.
“It’s not hard to get up. They’re our rivals,” Taj Gibson said. “They don’t like us. We don’t like them. They smacked us in the mouth the first game. We really felt bad about that. We’re not going to lay down for anybody. That’s the makeup of our team.”
The Bulls (8-9) finished with an emphatic 49-27 rebounding advantage. Carlos Boozer scored 27 points, Luol Deng had 20, Gibson added 19, while Joakim Noah piled up 17 points and 15 rebounds.
“I wanted to win for Derrick Rose,” Noah said. “I think the people in the city, there’s something about when Miami comes to town. They wake up in the morning and just feel it. The people in the city, they don’t like the Miami Heat. We don’t like the Miami Heat.
“A lot of battles, a lot of scars, a lot of seasons ending (against Miami). Our team needed it. It’s really hard to win without Derrick.”
In all reality, the buzz about Rose’s declaration is a waste of time. Yes, it’s conceivable he could return late this season. But any prediction at this point in his recovery is simply a wild guess, whether it’s Rose or anyone else making the call.
Surgery to repair cartilage damage generally carries a 6-month recovery time. Then again, Rose’s tear was in the medial meniscus on the inside of the knee. Tearing the lateral meniscus, on the outside of the knee, is generally considered a more serious injury.
Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook tore lateral meniscus in last year’s playoffs and was back on the floor six months later, and that was with a reported setback in October because of a “loose stitch.” The same thing could happen to Rose, or not, but no one really knows.
Thursday’s game was another case of why the Bulls felt optimistic about battling the Heat this season, assuming good health.
Chris “Birdman” Anderson did not play because of personal reasons. He averages 4.3 rebounds and 17 minutes per game, so it’s not clear how much he would have helped.
Miami was also without Dwyane Wade, who was said to be back at the hotel nursing an illness. Wade missed the previous game Tuesday against Detroit because of general soreness, which is probably code for his knees are bothering him.
LeBron James (21 points) started the game with two aggressive drives to the basket, while the Bulls countered by knocking down their first 6 shots from 3-point range. The Bulls led 29-20 after one quarter and stretched the lead to 18 in the second.