CHICAGO (AP) – Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau has insisted that Derrick Rose would eventually return to playing the way he was before knee injuries wrecked his previous two seasons.
On Friday, Rose looked like he is going to prove his coach right.
Rose scored a season-high 31 points, and the Bulls overcame big nights from Portland’s two All-Stars to beat the Trail Blazers 115-106.
Rose went past his previous high of 24 points and scored over 30 for the first time since March 12, 2012. He was 14 of 24 from the floor for the Bulls, who have won three of four and improved to 4-5 at the United Center.
For Rose, it was his second consecutive encouraging performance after scoring 23 during Chicago’s win over Brooklyn on Wednesday. And like that game, Rose’s aggression level resembled where it was before his injuries.