Never doubt the heart and skill of a former Kia MVP winner. That is perhaps one of the main lessons to take away from Derrick Rose’s career-best (and highly emotional) 50-point outburst in a thrilling 128-125 Minnesota Timberwolves win against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night. From media members to current and fellow NBA players, the outpouring of happiness for Rose after his big game was one of the biggest stories in all of sports last night.
After all the surgeries, comebacks and heartbreak Rose has endured throughout his career since winning Kia MVP honors in 2010-11, his has been a story of both endurance and disappointment. None of that mattered last night, though, as he delivered a game that will go down in Timberwolves (and NBA) lore as legendary.
(If you’ve got an NBA League Pass subscription, you can re-watch the game in full here. Or, you can catch it later today on NBA TV at 4 p.m. ET, too. You’re welcome …)
A game like this was chock full of stats tidbits that bear mentioning and we’re here to spotlight some of the best of the best things to know from Rose’s performance …
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Rose turns back the clock
To say it had been a while since Rose had a game like this would be a gross understatement of facts. He had not scored more than 30 points in a game since Jan. 18, 2017, when he dropped 30 points on the Boston Celtics in a 117-106 win. His last game with 40 or more points came seven years ago — May 6, 2011 — when he poured in 44 points against the Atlanta Hawks in a 99-82 win by the Chicago Bulls.
A long wait for a monster game …
As detailed above, it had been a while since Rose scored 40 or more in a game. And, per Elias Sports, the time between Rose’s last game with 40-plus points and his most recent was the fifth-longest gap in NBA history.
“Words can’t describe how I feel right now. It’s been a while, bro.”
— @drose pic.twitter.com/ti5aznOt2Q— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) November 1, 2018
Adding to Timberwolves’ history, too
There are only five players in Minnesota’s 50-point club, with Rose becoming the newest member last night …
Most Points Scored in Wolves History
56- Karl-Anthony Towns, March 28, 2018
52- Mo Williams, Jan. 13, 2015
51- Corey Brewer, April 11, 2014
51- Kevin Love, March 23, 2012
50- Derrick Rose, Oct. 31, 2018
Scoring surges continue this season
Last season, there were 14 games in which a player scored 50 or more points. After Rose’s outburst, we’re already up to four … and it just turned to November. By comparison, there were no 50-point games last season until Nov. 3, 2017 (LeBron James’ 57-point game vs. Washington) …
Most Points Scored This Season
52- Klay Thompson, Oct. 29
51- Stephen Curry, Oct. 24
50- Blake Griffin, Oct. 23
50- Derrick Rose, Oct. 31
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