With Derrick Rose having missed the entire season while recovering from microfracture surgery and Kirk Hinrich constantly in and out of the lineup with various injuries, someone had to step up at the point for the Chicago Bulls. Good or bad, they desperately needed someone to make plays from the perimeter, and their answer for much of the season has been little Nate Robinson.
The guard, who once averaged over 17 points per game for the New York Knicks, has always been capable of being an explosive scorer, but it’s his decision making that often had coaches scratching their heads. The plays where he gets a bit out of control – he is a very emotional player – is what gets him into trouble at times. While some of that is still there, it’s safe to say that the Bulls would not be in the position they are in right now without his ability to come up big this season.
That was, again, the case on Thursday night against the Knicks, when he outplayed Carmelo Anthony by scoring a season-high 35 points on 10-of-18 shooting off the bench, while helping the Bulls close out the 118-111 overtime victory with six points in the extra period. His performance helped put an end to New York’s 13-game winning streak.
Along the way, Robinson had plenty of fun, as he usually does. Here’s a video of him celebrating and mocking Steve Novak’s discount double check:
Microfracture surgery?? Uhhh…