Smooth Performance of the Night: Rose gets his groove back
The talk surrounding Derrick Rose coming into Game 3 of the Chicago Bulls second-round series with the Cleveland Cavaliers was the fact that he hadn't visited the foul line in three games - the longest stretch of his six-year career.
And while he remedied that by taking 10 free throws in the Bulls' 96-93 victory Friday night, the bigger highlight was the long, buzzer-beating banking three that gave Chicago that win.
Rose has always been a hero in his hometown, and after the victory that put the Bulls up 2-1 over the Cavs in the series, he's the king of Chicago once more.
Rose's shot had the fans around me literally jumping for joy. There was so much emotion in the building I wondered if they'd storm the court
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) May 9, 2015
The trey with time expiring was the first game-winning shot in the final 10 seconds of a postseason game by a Bulls player since Michael Jordan's famous jumper over Bryon Russell in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
Rose finished the night with a game-high 30 points, adding seven rebounds and seven assists. While he only shot 10-of-26, his one three-pointer on a rather low three attempts was the one that counted most. The flip side is he drove the basket more in Game 3, although he had some issues finishing.
