A look back at the evening of October 31, 2018, significant for so many fans of the Bulls, Wolves and NBA. The evening when Derrick Rose, after years of struggle, managed to achieve his career-high50 points against Jazz.
October 31, Halloween night. While kids dressed as Spider-Man are moaning because out of pettiness, you only bought licorice and booger-flavored Harry Potter candies, Wolves fans turn on their televisions with a sign in front of the front door : “Naughty dog, much worse master, don’t disturb. And anyway, you will all end up with a sugar addiction, you bunch of followers of a useless and childish commercial party”. Well, pretty much what.
In this 2018-2019 season, hope is back in Minnesota. After a first qualification in the Playoffs last season after 14 years in the bottom seven in the West, Jimmy Butler decided to leave by putting on a box in training, but Karl Anthony-Towns, Andrew Wiggins, Jeff Teague and Robert Covington are still present. The wolf pack will try to return in mid-April for a second consecutive year under the leadership of Tom Thibodeau.
However, on October 31 and against a direct competitor for qualification in the Playoffs, it is not one of them who is preparing to shine brightly. He is a player from whom nothing was expected, a unique talent wasted by injuries, the youngest MVP in history, Derrick Rose.
If in 2023, his place on the end of the bench in the NBA seems almost assured, this was not the case in 2018. Rose was indeed coming out of a very complicated half-season with the Cavaliers and many wondered if he still had the level and physical condition to play in the NBA. Thibs, his former coach on the Chicago side, is one of the few to still believe in him and this stint with the Wolves looked very much like his last chance.
The season had started rather averagely for the Wolves: four defeats in the first seven games and a collective chemistry that did not seem to come naturally.
However, on this evening of October 31, the collective will once again not take precedence. It is individual talent that will turn this Wolves meeting against Jazz into the unexpected and the timeless.
CAREER-HIGH 50 PTS ✅
Game-Winning Block ✅
A Night to Remember ✅
Derrick Rose lifts the @Timberwolves to victory at home with a historic, emotional performance! #AllEyesNorth #ThisIsWhyWePlay pic.twitter.com/DrysNGIyCy
— NBA (@NBA) November 1, 2018
In the absence of Jeff Teague, Derrick Rose starts in the major five and scored the first points of the game for the Timberwolves with a three-pointer that was anything but his trademark at this point in his career. He is even the author of 8 of his team’s first 10 points, thus launching his immense project.
24 minutes later, the Wolves returned to the locker room leading by 9 points thanks in particular to the 16 points from the former MVP. A performance well above his averages of recent seasons, but we did not think at that moment that his career points record, then 42 units, was about to fall.
And yet, between complicated penetrations concluded on the nose of Rudy Gobert, reigning defender of the year and shots behind the arc, the score climbs quickly in the third act, 19 points in 12 minutes on the floor.
At 3 minutes and 35 seconds from time, the Wolves are trailing by three points, Derrick Rose is at 41. The 2011 MVP receives the ball on the left of the floor and sends a three-point stepback in the corner to bring the two teams back tied. The career record being thus broken on a move that he is really not used to. Rose is at her most beautiful and on this Halloween night, Jazz has reason to be afraid.
44 points then 46 on a drive concluded by a superb feint less than a minute from the end. 48 after a very complicated shot near the circle to allow his team to take the lead 30 seconds from time. Finally 50 on two free throws allowing his team to take a little more shelter.
But not completely, the Jazz are only three points away and there are 13 seconds left to play. Joe Ingles then takes the equalizing shot, misses, but Jae Crowder takes the offensive rebound and shifts in the corner Dante Exum who rises as a last chance… blocked by Derrick Rose. Victory 128 to 125.
The boy’s final stat line? 50 points at 19/31 shooting and 4-7 from distance, 6 assists, 4 rebounds and a block, but what a block.
The hero of the evening will not only have shone in attack, he will have shown himself clutch on both sides of the field and will offer himself an emotion like he has not experienced for many years.
Surrounded by his teammates from the final whistle, he was unable to contain his tears and thus caused those of many enthusiasts to flow behind their screens. On Halloween we are supposed to laugh or be afraid, crying is not usually part of the program and yet, that evening, NBA fans would not have wanted any other emotion.
For those nostalgic, the match is available in full on the NBA YouTube channel.
Source texte : Basketball Reference
2023-10-31 17:51:00
#Derrick #Roses #points #Halloween
