A day after coming up short against the Miami Heat, the Bulls were right back in the win column with a 98-88 victory over the Washington Wizards. As you can probably guess, Derrick Rose led the way with 35 points and handed out eight assists. It would mark the third consecutive game in which Rose has scored 30 or more points.
Prior to the game against the Wizards, Rose expressed disappointment in losing to the Heat. In fact, Rose feels as if he let the city down when he missed the two free-throws in the fourth quarter against the Heat. In his own words “I’m just hurt not for me, but for the city of Chicago.” He also went on to say that he hopes the fans stick with him and vowed not to let us down again.
First of all Derrick, you didn’t let the city down. You were a perfect 12-for-12 from the charity stripe at that juncture of the game and you hadn’t missed a free-throw in the fourth quarter all season. Secondly, if it wasn’t for your 34 points, the Bulls would not have been in a position to win despite playing terrible defense in various stretches throughout the game. An athlete with your level of talent who hates to lose more than he loves winning is something that is not commonplace and I’m sure that every fan appreciates that attitude more than words can express.
I can understand why you would be frustrated in missing a couple of free-throws and a short jumper in the closing seconds of the contest, but please keep in mind that you are one of the reasons why the Bulls played well last season and currently boast one of the top records in the league this year as well. We appreciate all of the hard work you put into improving your game and doing all you can to be the best player on the court.
Just remember that one game does not make a season Mr. Rose and true Bulls’ fans will understand that. It was only the first of four meetings that will take place between Chicago and Miami and you will probably face them again in the postseason as well. With that being said, we believe that you will help us finally break through against the Heat this year when it matters the most.