Derrick Rose a thorn to Utah, drops career-high 50 pts
Former MVP Derrick Rose shows glimpses of his old explosive self
Derrick Rose scored a career-high 50 points in a vintage performance that lifted the Minnesota Timberwolves over the Utah Jazz 128-125 on Wednesday night.
An emotional Rose was in tears after the game as he walked off the court serenaded by chants of “MVP! MVP!” from the home crowd. The 30-year-old point guard has been derailed by injuries since winning the 2011 NBA MVP award.
He had 34 points in the second half and 15 in a tightly contested fourth quarter as the Wolves held off the Jazz, who waived Rose in February after a two-day stint.
Rose shot 19 of 31 from the field and hit four 3-pointers. He played 41 minutes, his most in nearly two years.
His basket down low with 30 seconds remaining put Minnesota up for good, and he made two free throws with 13.8 seconds left to make it a three-point lead.
Jae Crowder and Joe Ingles each missed a 3-pointer that could have tied it for Utah. Rose then blocked a 3-point try by Dante Exum with 2.7 seconds to go, and the Timberwolves grabbed the loose ball to seal it.
Back in the locker room, excited teammates doused Rose in celebration.
Making his first start of the season, Rose scored 19 points in the third quarter as the Timberwolves took a five-point lead into the fourth. Karl-Anthony Towns added nine of his 28 points in the period.
Minnesota played without All-Star Jimmy Butler, as well as point guards Jeff Teague and Tyus Jones. Butler sat out with what the team described as “general soreness.”
Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points, and Rudy Gobert added 22 for Utah.
WARRIORS 131, PELICANS 121
In Oakland, Stephen Curry had 37 points for his sixth 30-point game of the season, and Golden State beat New Orleans for its sixth straight win.
Curry had seven 3-pointers and nine assists, Kevin Durant added 24 points and eight assists, and Draymond Green contributed 16 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists for his first double-double of the season. Green has 50 assists in the last five games for the Warriors, who finished with a season-high 39 assists.
Anthony Davis returned from a two-game absence with a sprained right elbow and had 17 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists for the Pelicans. /
I played my heart out. My teammates told me before the game, just play my game. And tonight was a hell of a night.
DERRICK
ROSE 2011 NBA regular season MVP