Has Derrick Rose Returned To ‘Greatness’ Following Game 3 Buzzer-Beater?

With one shot, Derrick Rose may have officially returned to greatness in NBA circles. But is the buzzer-beater delivered in Game 3 against Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers enough to proclaim that the one-time league MVPn is fully back?

Many NBA news outlets seem to think so. According to Bleacher Report, the Derrick Rose buzzer-beater was more than just a shot — it was a statement.

“The buzzer-beater is the defining moment from Rose’s night, the clip that’s going to be played in future ‘Hero Ball’ playoff promos for years to come… In other words, it was the Rose that he’s been promising all year, and the Rose that NBA fans — forget just Bulls fans—have been waiting to see again for three years.”

ESPN blogger Jon Greenberg agrees, calling the Rose shot “something real” that also in effect will boost Derrick’s confidence along with the rest of the team.

“Days, weeks, months, years. It’s been a while,” he write. “We’ve had hints, moments, morsels. He’s had second, third, fourth returns. He’s had so many false comebacks, we have a city teeming with Rose apostates. This Rose moment was different. Because this Rose moment meant something real.”

As reported by the Inquisitr, Derrick Rose made a fade-away three-pointer that banked off the glass to cap a 99-96 victory over Lebron James’ Cavs in Game 3. Afterward, coach Tom Thibodeau echoed the sentiments of many — that Derrick Rose had returned to greatness with just that single defining play.

“There’s not many like him. As a matter of fact, there’s not any like him,” Thibodeau told reporters after the game. “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.”

As for the Bulls, they’re going to need all the Derrick Rose they can get. As reported by the Inquisitr, Pau Gasol may be a scratch from Game 4 today due to a strained hamstring that forced him to leave Game 3 early.

They will also have to deal with arguably the best player in the NBA in Lebron James, who will not let his Cavs go quietly into the night. Cleveland, of course, is dealing with their own injured or rusty supporting cast. Forward Kevin Love went down with a dislocated shoulder suffered in the first round with Boston Celtics and is unlikely to return the rest of the year while guard J.R. Smith is coming off a suspension for taking a swing at a Celtics player during that same game.

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