Derrick Rose is one unhappy man. The former NBA MVP questioned the foul call that got him injured in the Cleveland Cavaliers' 116-97 win over the Milwaukee Bucks Friday night.
Following a jump ball with over 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Rose received the ball and attacked the rim. Bucks center Greg Monroe challenged him. Instead of blocking the shot, Monroe inadvertently hit Rose's face in mid-air.
It appeared that Monroe's left arm also hooked Rose around the neck area as they were going down. The contact led to Rose landing awkwardly with his left foot that led to an ankle sprain.
In a report by ESPN, Rose said after the game that he thinks he is the only player in the NBA that would not get a flagrant foul out of that situation. "Come on, man. Like, I'm sure I'm the only player, but it is what it is. ... That's a common foul. Wow. Come on," the Cavaliers playmaker added. Rose finished the game with 12 points (3-of-4 shooting), two rebounds, an assist, and two steals.
Point guard dilemma
With Derrick Rose down, the Cleveland Cavaliers only have two point guards on their roster. These are the veteran Jose Calderon and prospect London Perrantes. The Cavs recently signed Perrantes to a two-way contract, which means he can join them for 45 days this 2017-18 NBA season.
According to a report, Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue shared that Calderon will likely start in place of Rose in their next outing. The Orlando Magic are heading to Cleveland tonight. The Cavaliers' game versus the Magic is the first of a two-game homestand. On Tuesday, they are hosting the Chicago Bulls.
King vs. Greek Freak
Aside from the injury to Derrick Rose, the game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Milwaukee Bucks featured a key matchup as well, as LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo met.
Antetokounmpo had a better individual performance as he tallied 34 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, three steals, and one block. Sadly for the pride of Greece, his efforts were not enough for the Bucks to beat the Cavaliers.
Meanwhile, James relied on a great shooting night to lead the Cavaliers to their second consecutive win. The four-time MVP registered 24 points as he shot 10-of-16 from the field, including 2-of-4 from long distance. James completed an all-around game by tallying five rebounds, eight assists, one steal, and one block as well.
The next time Antetokounmpo and James collide will be on November 7 when the Cavaliers welcome the Bucks to the Quicken Loans Arena.