For Derrick Rose, the road game against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday could have been one of his most dubious performances ever as the point guard of the Chicago Bulls.
Despite scoring 30 points on 13-of-33 (39 percent) shooting from the field, Rose’s assist to turnover ratio was something to behold, as described by Dan Le Batard of ESPN:
Derrick Rose has 11 turnovers (more than all the Warriors combined) and zero assists.
— Dan Le Batard Show (@LeBatardShow) January 28, 2015
11 turnovers and zero assists. That’s what Rose had until the most critical possession of the contest in regulation: a pass to Kirk Hinrich for a 3-pointer with the game on the line after an inexplicable turnover by Stephen Curry in the backcourt. Hinrich made the shot, which gave Rose his lone assist of the night. According to the Elias, Rose is the first player ever with at least 30 points, at least 10 turnovers and one assist or fewer in a single game. Needless to say, it was an intriguing performance of sorts for the controversial guard.
At the end of the day, though, here’s what mattered the most: with the game on the line again in overtime and the Bulls in need of a basket, Rose came up with the eventual game-winning jump shot over Klay Thompson:
The clutch shot gave the Bulls a much-needed 113-111 victory over a team that had not lost a single game to an Eastern Conference team this season. Had Chicago lost the contest, Rose likely would have been blasted by the media everywhere on Wednesday. He still might get criticized by some, but hitting the game-winner will most certainly soften the blow.
Tweet of the Night: John Wall sends his support for the injured Kemba Walker
NBA players react to Klay Thompson’s historical 37-point third quarter against Kings
Jim Park is a blogger and editor of Sheridan Hoops. Follow him on twitter @SheridanBlog.