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NBA Throwback: When Derrick Rose Turned Back the Clock for an Impressive Night

Published 03/23/2020, 12:18 PM EDT

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As the NBA lockdown continues, here’s taking a trip down memory lane with an emotional victory for the Minnesota Timberwolves, which brought Derrick Rose back to the limelight with an amazing career high.

Derrick Rose: Leader of the Timberwolves’ pack

 

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On November 1, 2018, when Rose played for Minnesota Timberwolves, he scored an unbelievable 50 point career high. The Wolves’ guard turned back the clock to his peak years as he lifted the Timberwolves over the Utah Jazz, 128-125.

Rose, then a 30-year-old point guard, was in tears as he walked off the court after the game. The home crowd serenaded him with chants of “M.V.P.! M.V.P.!”

Rose had 34 points in the second half, including 15 in a tight fourth quarter as the Wolves held off the Jazz. His basket down low with 30 seconds remaining put the Timberwolves up for good. He made two free throws with only 13.8 seconds left to preserve a 3-point lead.

If a career-high wasn’t enough for him that night, with less than five seconds left, Rose gracefully got his hand on Dante Exum’s 3-point attempt to seal the victory.

 

 

Why this victory was important for DRose

 

 

The win was important for Rose, as he was plagued with injuries since 2011. He was hurting. Shuttling in and out of the lineup, he was never really in rhythm.

Rose has had four knee surgeries. Further, he needed to take time away in the season before the 2018 season to figure things out while dealing with ankle issues. He was forced to sit out nearly two full seasons when he should have been in his prime.

However, all his years of problems seemed to be far away as he reveled in his achievement.

“I played my heart out,” Rose said. “My teammates told me before the game, just play my game. And tonight was a hell of a night.”

The Wolves’ team mobbed Rose on the floor when the game was over. They drenched him with water in the locker room. Around the league, players couldn’t wait to show him some love.

Praise for Rose

Rose’s coach, his teammates, and others seemed to have a lot of praise for him.

“I know the person that he is, the character that he has,”  coach Tom Thibodeau said, “And it shines through.”

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LeBron James, who was Rose’s teammate the season before this feat, had a lot to say about his former teammate, “What he gives to his mind and body just to play one game is something I watched being his teammate. When you talk about perseverance, that is the true definition of it. … Even when a superhero is knocked down, he is still a superhero at the end of the day. And Derrick showed why he is a superhero.”

Miami Heat’s star Dwyane Wade also had positive things to say about Rose’s performance.

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Written by:

Maitreyee Joshi

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