Rose Silences The Naysayers and Closes Out 95 - 87 Win Over Bucks At United Center North With 30 Points and Career-High 17 Assists

Milwaukee, WI. To all those out there who think that the MVP race is still open for discussion, you have your answer.

Every time the doubters, many of whom also happen to work for Miami newspapers and media outlets, crawl out of the woodwork, Derrick Rose has an answer for them. He lets his game do the talking, and tonight, it was a confident roar.

DRose led a 12 - 0 run to close out the Bucks by attacking the basket relentlessly.

Even playing an away game in the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, WI, Derrick Rose was still serenaded by the "MVP" chants that seem to follow him everywhere he goes nowadays. Affectionately called United Center North by all the Chicago Bulls fans making the trek up the Lake Michigan coastline to see their beloved Bulls, the Bradley Center roared with partisan support for the visiting team, especially when DRose had the ball in his hands.

The support came in really handy as the Bulls went into the 4th quarter with a 5 point deficit. However, the Bulls have grown accustomed to the situation in putting together 20 wins in their last 23 games, especially lately.

In their upward climb to the top of the Eastern Conference standings, the Bulls have found their groove, and now, they have a routine. The way the 1990's Chicago Bulls teams used to look to Michael Jordan in the 4th quarter to carry the scoring load, that heavylifter is now NBA MVP leader, Derrick Rose.

Although many players from many teams have tried to be what Jordan was to the 1990's Bulls, few players have been successful. But despite being the only focal point of opposing defenses, Rose neither complains about the pressure nor does he fail to deliver when his team needs him the most.

DRose has the Bulls on top in the Eastern Conference and believing they can win any game.

In recent games, Rose has excelled as the clutch player that the Chicago Bulls will need if they are to make some real noise in the playoffs after this amazing 2010-11 regular season campaign.

On this night, when his team needed him to dominate, Rose put up 10 points and 4 assists in the final quarter of the game, accounting for 18 of the Bulls' 26 fourth quarter points, and almost single-handedly outscored the Bucks in the period, who could only manage 13 points against the stingy Chicago defense. Derrick Rose finished with 30 points and a career-best 17 assists.

It was just another statement game, dedicated to the doubters.

Despite giving the MVP to Lebron James the last two years because he was able to make his teammates better and "lead" his teammates to the best record, now that definition is not good enough.

Now it is also about statistics. Rarely has the top statistical player been given the NBA MVP Award, for there are already individual awards for leading the league in a statistical category. Which stats are the most important and why? Scoring? Assists? Well, the one statistic that does seem to exemplify a player's value to their team is some combination of usage and wins, essentially his relative contribution to the team's wins... short of that, none of the statistics that is oft quoted by these ignorant Miami sports writers is relevent.

And dumbest of all, some would say its about being the best player in the league. Well, why do we wait for any games to be played at all then? Lebron James is pretty much the concensus most gifted player, but what has that gotten him in 7 seasons as a pro? Literally, zero (rings).

What the naysayers fail to comprehend or acknowledge is the Valuable part of Most Valuable Player.

Israel Gutierrez of the Miami Herald thinks someone other than DRose should be MVP.

Historically, the major factor in being named the NBA MVP was winning. Many people want to change the rules to make it a statistical award, but the fact is that the best player on the team who has the best record in the league has won the vast majority of regular season MVP awards.

When the teams with the best record didn't have a clear cut most outstanding player (i.e. Boston's Big 3 in the 2007-8 NBA season), the award went to one of the next best teams, and their best player and leader (Kobe Bryant, that year).

This "system" gave the award to Lebron James for two seasons in a row, but it will not allow him to get it for a third because of the quality of players he plays with. To have two players who can be called "Most Valuable" on the same team makes neither one "Most Valuable". It is an impossibility in a team game.

Fortunately, public sentiment has been way ahead of both the curve and the so-called "experts", in realizing what ESPN and other biased media outlets fail to comprehend. You don't need a calculator or a complicated formula or algorithm to understand the Value that Derrick Rose has to the Chicago Bulls.

The Bulls have had top defenses before in the recent past, but could not find a consistent source of clutch scoring for it to matter. In Derrick Rose, they now have a multifaceted playmaker who can take the ball to the basket at will or find teammates if the opposing defense keys on him.

His play makes his teammates better. His proven clutch play gives his teammates confidence. His work ethic makes his teammates want to get in the gym. And his new-found swagger has his teammates believing they can catch the San Antonio Spurs for the best record in the league. That's leadership. That's what being the NBA MVP is about.

Bulls Waste 42 Points and Jordan-esque Effort By Rose and Lose To Pacers In Overtime

INDIANAPOLIS, IN. This one is going to sting for a while for the self-critical NBA MVP leader Derrick Rose, although the truth is, what more can one man do?

On a night where the Bulls were without starter Carlos Boozer and the Bulls' usually deep bench shot a combined 9 for 28 (32%) from the field AND the Bulls went into the 4th quarter trailing by 16 points, the Bulls ended up having a chance to win this game.

After Michael Jordan sang his praises less than one week ago, presumptive NBA MVP Derrick Rose did his best homage to the NBA legend by taking over the fourth quarter for the languishing Bulls.

DRose poured in 19 points in the 4th quarter to force OT and matched his career-high with 42 points for the game.

With the Bulls looking up at a 16 point deficit to end the 3rd quarter, Rose knew it was time for him to take over. In Jordan-eque fashion, Rose scored 19 of the Bulls 29 points in the 4th quarter, including sinking 3 from the free throw line with 1.2 seconds remaining to tie the game up at 102 - 102, and force overtime.

It seems that Rose was spent from the effort as the Bulls were outscored in the overtime period 6 - 13 by Indiana. Rose scored 4 of the 6 points in OT to finish with 42 points, to tie his career high, along with 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block.

Luol Deng was the second highest scorer for the Bulls with 21 points on 7 of 18 shooting, but he shot a combined 0 for 5 from the field in the 4th quarter and overtime.

A lot of credit is due to the Indiana Pacers, who currently hold the 8th and final playoff spot in the East and who may have approached this as a statement game against the Bulls. Chicago, if they win the race for 1st place in the East, would then have to face the Pacers in the first round of the playoffs.

For now, the loss drops Chicago back into a statistical tie with Boston, pending the outcome of their matchup with the Houston Rockets tonight.

Statement Game: DRose Is MVP, After Dropping Career High 42 Points In Win Over NBA Leading San Antonio Spurs

CHICAGO, IL. How many Bull-ievers were there outside of the Chicago-area after Derrick Rose stated that he wanted to be the NBA MVP at the beginning of this season? Not really sure, but I am certain that that number has increased as the NBA season reached the All Star Break.

In fact, after the Bulls final game before the All Star Break, the "secret" is out.

After Derrick Rose hung a career high 42 points along with 5 rebounds and 8 assists on the best team in the NBA heading into All-Star Weekend, the San Antonio Spurs, Rose now has a lot of Bull-ievers.

DRose was unstoppable, even for the NBA leading San Antonio Spurs.

Derrick Rose has the Bulls arriving at the All-Star break with the third best record (38 - 16) in the Eastern Conference, only 2.5 games back of both Boston and Miami.

DRose has managed to position the team despite having his team at full strength for much of the season; a broken hand kept free-agent acquisition Carlos Boozer out to begin the season, and shortly after Boozer's return, Joakim Noah was put on IR to surgically treat a ligament in his hand.

It will be scary to see what Rose and the Bulls can do at full strength.
Whereas Miami is sending their 3 stars and Boston is sending 4 stars to the All-Star Game, Rose was selected as an All-Star starter, but will not be joined by any of his teammates this year.

Rose's selection as a starter was an obvious one. Going into All-Star Weekend, Rose has averaged 24.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game, all new career highs.

Rose has had to be "The Man" on this team every night for the Bulls to keep pace with Boston and Miami, and for that, he is the NBA's Most Valuable Player.

However, it is still amazing to see what Derrick Rose does when faced with a challenge like the San Antonio Spurs. The greater the challenge, it seems that the greater the will and effort that Rose brings to the contest. And the results speak for themselves.

Hang on for the stretch run!
Following All-Star Weekend, the Bulls will have one tune up game against the Toronto Raptors before they are tested, when the Miami Heat pay a visit to the United Center on 2/24/2011.