AUBURN HILLS, Mich -- Derrick Rose didn't play well Friday. The former league MVP was just 4-for-13 from the field, scoring eight points, dishing out six assists and turning the ball over five times. He missed a potential game-winner at the buzzer when he settled for a jumper that missed badly. That capped an all-around poor performance for Rose and his teammates, who struggled to find a rhythm all night.
As the Chicago Bulls quietly made their way out of the cramped visitor's locker room inside the Palace, Rose had an explanation for why he struggled for most of the game.