Derrick Rose Buzzer Beater Lifts Chicago Bulls Over Lebron’s Cavs

Derrick Rose leapt into his teammates’ arms showing little to no emotion on the outside. But whether or not he was smiling on the inside, Chicago Bulls fans everywhere were ecstatic as Rose’s buzzer beater gave the Bulls a 2-1 series lead.

Rose dropped 30 points – including 14 points in the fourth quarter – grabbed seven rebounds, and dished seven assists in their 99-96 victory. According to CBS Sports, the Bulls needed it all versus Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to pull out the victory.

“They needed a monster two-way effort from Jimmy Butler, who had 20 points, eight boards and five steals while guarding LeBron James and playing 44 minutes. They needed Taj Gibson’s magnificent defense, Nikola Mirotic’s floor spacing — the rookie finally got some playing time, and Chicago was plus-19 in his 21 minutes — and an inspired effort from Joakim Noah in the paint. The Bulls shot just 38 percent from the field, but it was enough.”

Tied at 96 with just 2.4 seconds to go, Derrick took the inbound pass at half court and dribbled past the top of the key. At that moment, Rose thrust himself backwards, his body fading away as the ball banked into the basket with time expiring.

As the arena erupted, Rose paced backwards to watch the ball sink into the net before leaping in the arms of his awaiting teammates. The ironic part of it all was his lack of emotion after sinking the shot, something USA Today points out, is just part of his everyday demeanor.

“I see him smile all the time, but he really doesn’t show it out in the open,” Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson said.

Emotions aside, the buzzer beater could serve as a wake-up call to the rest of the league that Derrick is back. Rose is coming off of yet another knee surgery he suffered in February during the regular season, as reported by the Inquistr. And his injury history has greatly affected his play over the years, a history that includes two surgeries to repair his right knee, which he blew out in the playoffs a few years back.

It’s also affected how others in the league perceive Rose who was once considered one of the greats in the game. Coach Tom Thibodeau thinks last night’s buzzer beater could serve as a reminder of his greatness.

“There’s not many like him. As a matter of fact, there’s not any like him. The combined speed, the quickness, the power. He’s shaking the rust off, so the more he plays, the more comfortable he becomes, the better rhythm he has.”

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls resume their series tomorrow with Game 4.

[Derrick Rose photo credit: Jamie Sabau / Getty Images]