Content D-Rose sits as his Knicks beat hometown Bulls in overtime
The building is the same, but times have changed.
Derrick Rose's latest visit to his hometown didn't include playing against his old team on Wednesday at the United Center. Rose was pulled from the New York Knicks' rotation and hasn't seen action in the last five games.
On the court, chalk this up as another game the Bulls could have won, but didn't. Jalen Brunson and Quentin Grimes knocked down 3-pointers in the final minute of overtime to send the Knicks to a 128-120 victory. These teams will play again Friday at the UC.
The Bulls (11-16) trailed for most of the contest, by as many as 14 points, but tied the score at the end of regulation when a Patrick Williams blocked shot led to a DeMar DeRozan layup with 24.7 seconds left. Williams forced an airball baseline jumper from New York's Julius Randle on the Knicks' final possession.
DeRozan scored 32 points and hit 16 of 17 free throws. Brunson scored 30, while Randle led New York with 31 points.
Inside the locker room before the game, the 2010-11 MVP kept a positive attitude. The Knicks are 5-0 since Rose left the rotation.
"If we were losing, I'd probably be mad," Rose said. "But we're winning and we're playing good basketball, so I really can't say nothing."
Rose knew his role would change this season with the free-agent addition of Brunson, the former Stevenson High School star whose father Rick was a Bulls assistant coach when Rose played in Chicago. Rose also praised second-year guard Miles "Deuce" McBride, who took his spot in the rotation.
"Deuce, I can't hate on that young man," Rose said. "I love the way that he's playing. Would feel a way if I was hating on him in any type of fashion. I'm happy for him.
"That's why I've got to keep an upbeat rhythm. I never want to be in a slump or be down just because I'm not playing. When Deuce wasn't playing, he wasn't acting that way."
Rose, 34, is now in his 15th NBA season. He reportedly has a team option for next season, which likely won't be picked up. So his basketball future is unclear beyond this year.
"I feel good," Rose said. "I want to be able to walk away whenever I want to walk away and smile while I'm doing it. Right now, who knows? It's not about stats anymore."
Rose listed some of his plans for after basketball - starting a chess league, vertical farming, a library. He also talked about wishing he enjoyed the moment a little bit more when he played for the Bulls.
"I wish I would have danced a little bit, (like) Ja Morant or something, you know what I mean?" Rose said with a smile. "Gave a little dance. You know how it is when you get older, you look back at it."
Of course, some people still celebrate how the notoriously low-key Rose stood still during the 2012 All-Star Game introductions while East teammates LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard danced around.
"You know what was crazy? I didn't know nothing about the dance routine," Rose said. "I probably would have danced if I had known, but I didn't know."
During New York coach Tom Thibodeau's pregame news conference, another former Bull, Joakim Noah, walked into the room, prompting the coach to quip, "Late as usual."
Noah didn't stay quiet, though. At the end, he shouted out, "I have a question: Are you going to go to Derrick's wedding but you're not going to go to mine?"
Noah married his wife Lais in Brazil last summer, with Rose in attendance. The former Bulls coach apparently RSVP'd no.
"Next question," Thibodeau said with a laugh.
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