LeBron James on Derrick Rose’s 50-point night: ‘He’s still a superhero’
Here’s what we learned on a night when we found out Derrick Rose still has superpowers:
Derrick Rose has a feel-good on-court moment
Horrific injuries will keep Derrick Rose from ever making the Basketball Hall of Fame, the first former MVP to be kept out of the HOF.
But all of that was forgotten Wednesday, as Rose scored 50 points for the Timberwolves, beating Utah even though Minnesota was without Jimmy Butler.
Players from around the league, LeBron James included, praised Rose’s perseverance through injury.
““Even when a superhero’s knocked down, he’s still a superhero,” James said from Staples Center. “At the end of the day Derrick Rose showed why he’s still a superhero.”
Even before the 50-point game, Rose had been playing well off the bench for the Timberwolves, who got a win they needed.
Luke Walton must feel secure
There were a lot of things to take away from the Lakers’ 114-113 win over the Dallas Mavericks.
The Lakers showed that they’re good enough to blow the doors off a team that desperately needed a win and that they’re bad enough to blow that lead when their defense falls apart like a bar Jenga set. They proved that, in stretches, they can defend with urgency and effort. They showed they can rebound as a team.
And whether it was intended or not, Luke Walton proved that he’s not too concerned with losing his job because of the Lakers’ record.
With his team sitting at 2-5 and Dallas charging to make the Lakers 2-6, Walton called repeated plays for Brandon Ingram down the stretch, giving the third-year wing and not LeBron James chances to smother the Mavericks.
The idea, he said after the game, is for the Lakers to get to where they need to be, they can’t just rely on LeBron James to get them there.
Wednesday, Ingram couldn’t do it — Dallas crawled all the way back before LeBron James got fouled and split on a pair of free throws to win it.
With everyone around the Lakers talking about patience, Walton must believe them. Even after Cleveland canned coach Tyronn Lue after an 0-6 start, reminding everyone of their professional mortality, Walton put the long-term health of the team ahead of a needed early-season win.
He’s betting that the Lakers truly will be patient.
It’s maybe a dumb bet. But it’s certainly gutsy. And it’s one a coach wouldn’t make if he were worried about being fired.
The Warriors are still sprinting
Golden State hasn’t been bored. They haven’t been distracted. They haven’t been lazy.
No, the Warriors are totally rolling, trading unbelievable performances throughout their starting lineup. Wednesday, they took care of New Orleans thanks to 37 points from Stephen Curry.
If they keep this up, the rest of the league will be playing for second place (and they might already be).
Line of the night
Derrick Rose: 50 PTS, 19-31 FG, 4-7 3FG, 8-11 FT, 6 AST, 4 REB
JaVale of the night
Lance of the night
Costume of the night
Twitter: @DanWoikeSports
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