Tristan Thompson calls Derrick Rose’s game-winner a ‘lucky shot’
By Matt Graber
Tristan Thompson clearly wasn’t impressed by Derrick Rose’s game-winner last night, dismissing it as a ‘lucky shot’
As you have probably seen dozens of times already, Derrick Rose hit a game-winning three pointer as time expired to carry his Chicago Bulls to a 99-96 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers last night in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Rose took an inbounds pass from Mike Dunleavy, darted to the right side of the court and banked in the improbable game-winner from well beyond the arc.
The remarkable shot, and Rose’s hilariously emotionless response, has already launched a series of memes. In case you live under a rock and somehow missed it, here’s the shot in all its glory:
While many are calling the shot one of, if not the, best plays of the playoffs, Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson clearly doesn’t hold it in the same regard. Chris Haynes of Northeast Media Group reported that after the game, dismissed Rose’s dagger as a lucky shot:
“I contested. It wasn’t like he just walked in and took a three. That’s all you can really ask for. It was a lucky shot. He hit it off the glass. It’s tough”
So was it a lucky shot? To a degree, yeah. Rose got the ball on a broken play, launched a contested three-pointer, on the run, from 30 feet away, and banked it in off the glass. You can’t do that without a little luck on your side. In that sense, all game winners are lucky shots. But to dismiss it as just a lucky shot takes something away from Rose, who demonstrated quickness, court awareness, and some cold-blooded clutch.
Thompson has every reason to be upset, and the backbreaking loss will likely have the Cavs fired up heading into Game 4. But rather than view the shot as merely lucky, take it as a sign that maybe, finally, Derrick Rose is back. After seeing John Wall, Chris Paul, and now Kyrie Irving suffer injuries, it’s remarkable to see Rose mount such a comeback after a tough three-year stretch of knee issues.