After Derrick Rose made a one-handed layup off the glass, a thunderous roar from fans watching the exhibition game between USA and Brazil in the United Center Arena on Saturday night quickly followed. The day marked the first game played by the former MVP in front of his home crowd after an injury on November 22 that sidelined him for the rest of the season.
Rose said in an interview with ESPNChicago, "When I was out there they wanted me to shoot every ball. I'm playing the way I normally play in the trials. Push the ball, play defense and get guys shots. When the shot is available, take the shot, and I think that's what I did tonight. I had one or two turnovers, but that could easily be changed."
NBA.com reported that fans attended the game to show support for their star. Rose's fans were spotted wearing the player's No.1 Chicago Bulls jersey. Rose was welcomed by a loud ovation and chants of ''MVP! MVP!'' as Team USA's roster was introduced. The crowd became even more ecstatic when Rose addressed them before the opening tip.
Team USA at the moment reportedly needs Rose to get back into his elite form now that Kevin Durant and Paul George are no longer part of the team. Rose was integral to USA's victory in 2010 and the team will need a lot from him as it heads into the tournament without a true leader in their roster.
Nancy Armour of USA Today said that although Rose was constantly quick all throughout the game, the Bulls star point guard was able to discover how to take advantage of his agility while managing to be in complete control. It was evident on his layup at the end of the first half, where he managed to lay the ball off glass without putting the brakes on. And while still shaking off some rust after a long layoff, his explosiveness was still apparent in the game.
"I felt good. I think everybody was excited and it was cool. At the same time, I can't get big-headed," Rose added.
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