LOS ANGELES: Playing their first NBA game since Derrick Rose suffered a serious right knee injury, the Chicago Bulls were routed 121-82 by the Los Angeles Clippers yesterday.
Rose missed all of last season recovering from a left knee injury and underwent surgury yesterday on a torn right knee ligament suffered in Friday’s 98-95 loss at Portland.
The former NBA Most Valuable Player, who was averaging 15.9 points plus 4.3 assists and 3.2 rebounds, could miss the remainder of this season. That could prove dismal for the Bulls, who were outscored in every quarter by the host Clippers.
Chris Paul scored 16 points and added 17 assists for the Clippers, who had 21 points from Jared Dudley and 19 from JJ Redick plus 15 points and 12 rebounds by Blake Griffin.
Britain’s Luol Deng scored a game-high 22 points for Chicago, which has lost three in a row and fallen to 6-6. Carlos Boozer and Mike Dunleavy added 14 points each for the Bulls.
Rose was scheduled for knee surgery yesterday and could be sidelined for the rest of the season if he decides to have his torn right meniscus reattached.
Rose tore the ligament against the Portland Trail Blazers and the timetable for his return will be known once he decides how he wants the knee to be fixed, said Bulls head coach Tom
Thibodeau.
Some athletes are sidelined for only a few weeks after surgery on medial meniscus tears, without the ligament being reattached, while others can be out for several months.
“We’re hoping for the best,” Thibodeau told reporters yesterday before the Bulls’ game against the hosting Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center.
“We of course feel very badly for Derrick. I talked to him at length (on Saturday) night. He’s in good spirits, about as well as can be expected under the circumstances.” AGENCIES
