Davis stars after ending the game with team-high 20 points…
Team USA secured a 95-78 win over Brazil in an exhibition game in Chicago on Saturday night, with Derrick Rose playing in front of his home crowd and in his first competitive game since November 22 last year.
The Chicago Bulls point guard scored seven points in 24 minutes as he received a warm reception from the fans who were delighted to see him in action after injuries have restricted him to just 10 games in the past two seasons.
Chicago native Anthony Davis led the way with 20 points for the home side as they continue their preparations for the FIBA World Cup in Spain which begins later this month, but the form of Rose will be key moving forward.
“I’ve been preparing for this for a long time,” Rose said, ESPN reports
“Probably, if this was a couple weeks ago I wouldn’t have been emotional, but right now it feels great. We won the game so that’s the only thing I could be happy about — we won. We didn’t lose. If we had lost my whole attitude would have been different. Just take this win, go to New York [Sunday] and just try to keep this going.”
Coach Mike Krzyzewski has had to deal with various injuries and withdrawals over the past month, with Paul George sustaining a broken leg in an exhibition game earlier this month after a freak collision with the basket stanchion.
In addition, Blake Griffin was forced to withdraw due to a back injury while Kevin Durant opted against continuing this summer after citing “mental and physical fatigue”.
As a result, Coach K has had to adjust and adapt with the players still at his disposal, with the final 12-man roster expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, it was another progressive step for Rose as he hopes that the World Cup will act as a catalyst for him to return to his MVP level of form and help the Bulls secure success in the new NBA season.
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