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 Their problems may be run deeper than what he can bring.
Rose returned to the lineup Wednesday night for the first time in
six weeks, but he couldn't stop their recent slide, losing for the
third time in the last four games.
The Orlando Magic beat the Bulls 105-103 when guard Victor Oladipo
hit a driving layup with 1.5 seconds remaining, spoiling the
much-anticipated return of Rose.
The Bulls (46-32) play Thursday night in Miami, still needing to
secure a top-four seed in the Eastern Conference and home-court
advantage in the first round of the playoffs. They have four games
remaining.
"We've got to figure this out quickly," said Bulls forward Pau
Gasol. "Derrick coming back is a positive, but we have to figure
this out quickly. The way we played tonight is troubling, upsetting.
We're all over the place right now."
Rose, who missed 20 games after right knee surgery, had little
impact for the Bulls and did not play in the fourth period. He
finished with nine points in 19 minutes. He made three of nine
shots.
"I'm happy to be playing again, but I'm more concerned with us
losing," Rose said. "I felt good out there, no discomfort at all.
It's all about patience right now, working myself back into shape."
Oladipo led everyone with 23 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Center Nikola Vucevic had 22 points and seven rebounds. Rookie point
guard Elfrid Payton had 17 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.
The Magic (25-43) won their third consecutive game, tying their
longest winning streak this season. Although they were eliminated
from playoff contention long ago, they looked like the better team
Wednesday night.
Although the Bulls led by 15 points in the first half, they lost
their edge in the second half.
"We've got guys back, and we've got to try and see what we can do,"
Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "You've got to play 48 minutes. It's
not a show, it's a competition. The challenge right now is to see
how quickly we can adapt."
Guard Jimmy Butler led the Bulls with 19 points, six assists and
five rebounds. Forward Pau Gasol had 15 points and nine rebounds.
Reserve forward Taj Gibson had 15 points and seven rebounds. Rookie
forward Nikola Mirotic had 15 points, and guard Aaron Brooks, who
lost his starting spot to Rose, had 13 points. Center Joakim Noah
had just four points but 11 rebounds.
Magic reserves Evan Fournier and Andrew Nicholson had 11 and nine
points, respectively.
Earlier this season, the Magic blew a six point lead in the final 36
seconds in losing to the Bulls in Orlando. This time, the Magic
delivered.
Oladipo hit a 3-pointer to give the Magic their first lead of the
fourth quarter, 101-99, with 1:30 remaining. Fournier had tied the
game at 96 with a jumper.
Gasol tied the game at 101, but Magic rookie forward Aaron Gordon
scored to give Orlando a 103-101 lead.
Gasol tied the game at 103 with a pair of free throws with 6.5
seconds remaining. After a time-out, Oladipo drove the lane and
scored the winning basket.
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"That was a playoff-type effort we got from the Bulls, but we kept
battling. And we kept our poise," Magic coach James Borrego said.
"We didn't run from the moment. We showed our resolve. It was a very
good effort from our group."
The Magic made 21 of 24 free throws. The Bulls made 23 of 31. They
outscored the Bulls, 53-44 in the second half.
The Magic led 68-67 -- their first lead since the opening two
minutes -- after scoring six consecutive points early in the third
quarter. The lead changed hands nine more times in the period.
The Bulls, though, closed the third by scoring the last nine points,
taking a 87-79 lead into the fourth. Vucevic scored 10 in the third,
which keyed the Magic rally.
The Bulls had dominated the first half by hitting nine of 18 shots
from 3-point range. They led, 59-52, at intermission, but led by as
many as 15 points in the second period.
The Magic were balanced early with Vucevic, Payton and Oladipo each
having 10 points at halftime. The Magic also held an early 26-18
rebound advantage.
Butler and Gibson each had 11 points by halftime. Rose had seven
points and made two of his six shots in 13 first-half minutes.
Rose had started strong, hitting a 3-pointer from the corner for the
5-2 lead. He hit a pull-up jumper for the 11-8 lead. He missed his
next three shots. He scored two points in the second half.
NOTES: The Bulls went 9-11 during the latest absence of G Derrick
Rose, who returned Wednesday from right knee surgery on Feb. 27. It
was his third knee rehabilitation in the past 34 months. He received
a round of applause from the Orlando crowd when he was introduced
during pregame. ... Also returning Wednesday was Chicago G Kirk
Hinrich, who missed the previous two games with a hyperextended left
knee. In the second quarter, he hit a 3-pointer on his first shot.
... The Magic were without reserve PG Luke Ridnour (personal
reasons) and Willie Green (hyperextended knee), but G Evan Fournier
(sore hip) returned after missing 17 games. ... Magic coach James
Borrego will be part of an NBA group participating in the first
basketball development camp in Havana, Cuba, from April 23-26. Also
part of the group are former players Steve Nash and Dikembe Mutombo.
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