Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls Run Past Milwaukee Bucks In Game 1 Of Playoff Series
Derrick Rose led the Chicago Bulls to an impressive 103-91 victory on Saturday night (April 18). The Bulls are playing the Milwaukee Bucks in a first-round playoff series, and Rose looked like he is ready to lead this team deep into the 2015 NBA Playoffs. It may just be one game in a best-of-7 series, but the Bulls won it in pretty convincing fashion.
Rose hit on 9-of-16 from the field, finishing with 23 points, seven assists, and two steals for the Bulls. He only played in about 27 minutes of action, making the most of his time on the court. The limited minutes were to protect him from getting injured, and the team really picked up the slack when he wasn’t on the court.
The Bulls dominated the glass, out-rebounding the Bucks 52-41, with three players notching double-figures numbers. That included 13 rebounds from Pau Gasol and 11 each from Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson. The Bulls also shared the ball in excess, accounting for 30 assists on just 38 made field goals this night. It was a great example of what the team can do when it stays focused for a full 48 minutes. Jimmy Butler ended up leading all scorers with 25 points, showing how formidable the Bulls’ guard duo has become.
The return of Derrick Rose took place back on April 8, as the Chicago Bulls played the Orlando Magic. Rose had missed the previous 20 games due to arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. It was an injury that was originally predicted to have ended his season, but he returned just in time to put in some work before the 2015 NBA Playoffs were set to begin. Rose spoke to the Chicago Tribune about how he felt in that first game back.
“I felt good. I didn’t feel any discomfort at all, so that’s a good sign. I’m just happy to be playing.”
Just how deep the Chicago Bulls can make it into the NBA Playoffs falls squarely on the legs of Derrick Rose. Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau has to make sure he doesn’t overuse Rose in the early games of the postseason, and the All-Star point guard has to make sure that he takes advantage of the minutes he gets. Striking that balance appeared pretty easy in Game 1 against the Milwaukee Bucks, but putting an early end to this first-round series would help the team a lot.
As reported on the Inquisitr, Game 2 of the Chicago Bulls vs. Milwaukee Bucks series takes place on Monday, April 20. Tipoff is scheduled for about 8 p.m. ET and TNT will provide the live television coverage. Derrick Rose should be well-rested from the additional day off and the Bulls will look to take the 2-0 at home.
[Image Source: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images]
