San Francisco Chronicle

Bulls’ Rose sidelined for season with knee injury

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Derrick Rose crumbled to the floor, clutching his left knee. His season is over and the Bulls’ title hopes just might be finished, too.

Rose will miss the rest of the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee late in Chicago’s 103-91 victory over the Philadelph­ia 76ers in Saturday’s playoff opener, casting a big cloud over a team eyeing a title run.

He scored 23 points and was playing more like the league’s reigning MVP after missing 27 games because of injuries during the regular season, but his injury-plagued season came to an end as the host Bulls were wrapping up an impressive victory.

Rose crumbled to the ground after he drove the lane with about 1:20 left and the Bulls leading by 12. He was going for a layup when he came to a jump-stop and seemed to change his mind as the 76ers’ Spencer Hawes and Lavoy Allen rotated over, passing off to a teammate before an awkward landing.

Team medical personnel immediatel­y rushed out and tended to Rose for several minutes as he was writhing in pain near the baseline before helping him to the locker room. Rose was taken to the hospital, and the results of the MRI exam were not good.

Whether Rose should have been in the game at that point figures to be debated for a long time around Chicago.

“I don’t work backward like you guys do,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said.

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