NBA Rundown Week 3: Derrick Rose turns back the clock, Sacramento Kings show early promise and more

Derrick Rose ain’t done with this game yet Vindication comes in many forms. For the ageing Derrick Rose, it came in the form of a career-high 50-point game against the Utah Jazz on an electric night in Minneapolis. With Minnesota Timberwolves’ usual talisman Jimmy Butler sitting out, Rose took control of the game. A 2009 NBA Rookie of the Year and the league’s MVP two years later, Rose had had a difficult time in the league since knee injuries derailed his career. The last few seasons have seen him play out a woebegone season with the New York Knicks, have an equally disastrous stint with the Cavaliers (which culminated in him taking a leave of absence) and then being left on the fringes after joining…who else, but the Jazz. Eventually, he found his way to Minneapolis. And on Thursday, he seemed like the Derrick Rose of old. “I worked my a** off for this. This means everything,” Rose said after the game blinking away tears.

Career-high 50 PTS | Game-winning block

An emotional Derrick Rose talks over his memorable night for the @Timberwolves!#AllEyesNorth #ThisIsWhyWePlay pic.twitter.com/YK28ptXyoG

— NBA (@NBA) November 1, 2018

Of course, it must be noted that there have been other issues that Rose has been embroiled in the interim. Like a rape case. There’s something different about Sacramento Kings this year  Whisper it softly, lest you jinx them, but the Sacramento Kings seem to be playing well this season. Granted, that in their nine games so far this season, they haven’t really beaten anyone you would consider really good. Yet, for a team which finished last regular season 27-55 — which led to them missing out from the Playoffs for the 12th consecutive season — a 6-3 run at the start of the season is a good sign. Also heartening are other stats. With 119.8 points, the Kings are third in the points per game standings (behind just the Golden State Warriors and LA Lakers); second in the field goal percentage charts with 50.3 percent and second in the three point percentage charts (behind the Warriors in both tallies). Even more heartening is that the Kings have gone from being the slowest team in the league last season to being…well…one of the fastest. They’re currently third in the fastest break points per game charts with 21.4 points. A big role in this upping of pace has been the really quick De’Aaron Fox and the really good Marvin Bagley III.

Cavs self-destructing in 3…2…1 Too many people thought that the Cleveland Cavaliers would lose their headline-worthiness when LeBron James left for greener pastures. How wrong were they? First, the Cavs sacked their 2016 title-winning coach Tyronn Lue after a run of losses which saw their season-opening record stand at 0-6. Then, the club’s talisman-turned-villain JR Smith told reporters that he would like to be traded from the Cavs while accusing them of being ‘disrespectful’. Then, it became apparent that Kevin Love — the man they hoped would take the mantle from LeBron this season — would miss at least six weeks after having surgery done on his left foot. Then, an assistant coach Jim Boylan sued the franchise for age discrimination. And now comes news that the franchise were locked in a stalemate with Larry Drew over the interim coaching position, a role he was handed after Lue was sacked. Did we mention that it’s not even been 20 days since the season started?

"To feel like you're going to play one day, and then you just don't play ... To not even look me in my face and tell me. That's disrespectful."

J.R. Smith clearly not happy right now with the Cavs. pic.twitter.com/JLkT6gNFQm

— Jordan Heck (@JordanHeckFF) November 1, 2018

  Russ Westbrook will rock you. Literally! He’s made a name for himself scoring triple doubles game after game. But this season, it’s Russell Westbrook’s ‘rock-the-baby’ celebrations after scoring which are making all the noise. First, he did it after scoring against LA Clippers’ Patrick Beverley, a man he has a fractious history against. Westbrook ended up needing surgery for a torn meniscus in 2013 when Beverley collided with him during a Playoffs game while diving for a loose ball. On being asked about the celebration, he said: “Yeah, you got little kids, you got little babies, put ’em to sleep,” Westbrook said. “That’s what happens. Little guards, you gotta rock ’em.” Then, he did it again against the Washington Wizards, after scoring against John Wall and Bradley Beal.

Russ rocked Patrick Beverley to sleep on this one 😬 pic.twitter.com/9XFQxJ4RKd

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 31, 2018

The Stone Cold fact! Victor Oladipo showed up as Black Panther. JaVale McGee came as The Grinch. LeBron James showed up as Jason Voorhees from the Friday the 13th series.

.@KingJames was not breaking character as Jason 😱 pic.twitter.com/wtdOZwQvw7

— ESPN (@espn) November 1, 2018

But the NBA star to show up for Halloween with the best costume, hands down, was Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers.  And that’s the bottom line. Cause Stone Cold said so!

And that’s the bottom line, because @Dame_Lillard said so. pic.twitter.com/JvIMyoVkJQ

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) October 23, 2018

Kawhi metre So, Derrick Rose turned back the clock for a 50-point game, the Sacramento Kings showed early season promise, Westbrook has a new celebration and the Cavaliers ensured they stayed in the headlines despite losing LeBron James. What sort of a week has it been, you ask? Allow Kawhi Leonard to tell you.