The Official Site of Derrick Rose

Sun, Mar 1st 2009, 16:23

Rose, Bulls refuse to lose

CHICAGO – Derrick Rose felt as though he was riding a wave of emotion that ensured the Bulls would not be stopped.

On the night the team honored Johnny “Red” Kerr and Norm Van Lier, both of whom died last week, Rose and the Bulls pulled out one of their most memorable victories.

With six minutes remaining, they trailed the Houston Rockets by 17.

But, said Rose, “if there was ever a night where you especially didn’t want to quit, this was it.”

The Bulls kept surging, the Rockets kept missing, and a 23-3 run lifted the home team to a 105-102 victory.

The victory might have come with a price. Forward Luol Deng sat out the second half with what he said could be a break in his right leg.

“The X-ray showed that it might be a possible stress fracture,” Deng said to The Associated Press.

The win continued a string of rousing performances at home. The Bulls have beaten Denver, Orlando and Houston – all among the top 10 teams in the league – in their past three games at the United Center.

This one no doubt was the sweetest, given the circumstances.

“I’m proud our guys hung in,” coach Vinny Del Negro said. “I liked our toughness. I liked our attitude.”

On the night, the Bulls pulled down 19 offensive rebounds despite the presence in the middle of Houston’s 7-foot-6 center, Yao Ming.

“I’ve played him a fair amount, [having been] in the Western Conference,” Miller said. “He’s a tough matchup, but denying him the ball is the best strategy.”

Rose and Ben Gordon carried the offense during the 23-3 run. Both scored 11 points, and Rose finished with 22 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.

“I wanted to get going earlier, but I’m glad I could come through when I did,” Rose said.

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