Tonight at 7:00 p.m. ET the Portland Trailblazers (17-5) will take on the Chicago Bulls (13-8) on ESPN in the first game of a double-header. Live stream the East-West clash free by clicking this link; Bulls fans can listen to the radio broadcast on ESPN 1000, while Blazers fans may do likewise by turning their dials to Fox Sports 620.
Bulls fans hold their breath any time point guard Derrick Rose moves on the basketball court these days, but they'll need to learn to exhale tonight. He will be matched up with one of the league's quickest, and most fearless point guars today-Damian Lillard.
So far this season Rose has been in and out of the lineup, and his stat lines are good, but don't read like the MVP-caliber player who was seen as a potential conqueror of LeBron James. Rose is averaging 16.2 points and 5.1 assists per game. He's also been statistically outclassed so far by Lillard.
The Blazers point guard is averaging 19.8 points, 6.2 assists 5.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals defensively. The specter of a younger, hungry foe isn't worrying the former MVP Rose in the least.
"You all are going to be surprised by the way that I am playing. Just give me a little minute," Rose said. "I know where I am going to be. I know how good I am, and I'm very confident with my craft and how good I am. Period.
"My body is healthy. Mind is good, spirit is good, just trying to keep it going."
The Blazers ran through the Rose-less Bulls in their first meeting, but are coming off an ugly loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves their last time out in which they scored just 82 points, and saw star forward LaMarcus Aldridge shoot 3-of-14 from the field.
"We've got to bounce back from it. We didn't shoot the ball well. Hopefully, the next game it will come back to us," Aldridge said.
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