CHICAGO — It had been nearly three years since Derrick Rose had set foot on the court for a postseason game, which is why, after an awkward landing following a foul midway through the first quarter, the United Center crowd held its collective breath.
Rose had gotten tangled up with Michael Carter-Williams, the Bucks' lengthy, promising guard, and laid on his back for a few unnerving moments. But unlike the last postseason game Rose played, which ended with a torn left ACL in 2012 and hastened two other significant knee surgeries, Rose's extended stay on the ground was the product of a savvy veteran and not another devastating injury.