Derrick Rose was the star of the show on Wednesday night as the New York Knicks evened out their first round series against Trae Young and the visiting Atlanta Hawks. Rose channeled his vintage self and logged in a game-high of 39 minutes, scoring a team-high of 26 points to silence all his doubters.
“I've been dreaming about this moment for a long time,” Rose said (via Bleacher Report). “In the past, people said I couldn't play the minutes and they was worried about it but I knew all along and how much hard work I put into it. In practice, I'll be on my feet for two hours so you can't tell me I can't play 30 minutes in a game with the way that I've changed and the way I play. I'm happy with my endurance and I'm happy we got the win tonight, too.”
“I’ve been dreaming about this moment for a long time.”
D-Rose been ready to play big mins in the playoffs 🌹 pic.twitter.com/grR8u9wzme
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 27, 2021
As he's done for most of his time in New York, Rose once again came off the bench on Wednesday to provide energy for head coach Tom Thibodeau's second unit. Rose was consistent all game long which forced Thibs' hand in going with him down the stretch. Alongside his 26 points, Rose added four boards and four dimes and was clutch for the Knicks as they came back after being down double-digits midway through the third quarter.
The 32-year-old has been through it all in his long career in the NBA. From being the youngest MVP in the league to falling down the depth chart in his stints with multiple franchises, Rose has now proven that he's right where he belongs as he helps this franchise get back to its winning ways.
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