* James on fire as Heat scorch Knicks
* Rose’s season over due to torn ACL
(Adds quotes, Knicks-Heat game)
April 28 (Reuters) – Chicago and Miami opened the National
Basketball Association post-season with comfortable wins on
Saturday but the Bulls paid a steep price for their victory when
Derrick Rose was ruled out for the rest of the season with a
knee injury.
There were smiles all around in Miami as the Heat, led by 32
points from LeBron James, scorched the New York Knicks 100-67 to
take control of their best-of-seven Eastern conference series.
But few were smiling in Chicago after watching Rose crumple
to the floor in pain late in the Bulls’ 103-91 win over the
Philadelphia 76ers.
Two hours after the game ended, the Bulls announced the
All-Star guard’s season was over because of a torn anterior
cruciate ligament.
Rose had missed 27 games this season because of various
injuries and there had been concerns about his fitness coming
into the playoffs.
He eased some of that concern as he poured in a game-high 23
points while adding nine rebounds and nine assists but the
health of the league’s most valuable player was again front and
center when he landed awkwardly on his left knee and crashed to
the ground late in the game.
Medical staff rushed onto the court and examined Rose for
several minutes before he was helped to the locker room.
Afterwards, Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau was questioned on why
Rose was even in the game with two minutes to play and Chicago
hold a double-digit lead.
WORKING BACKWARDS
“I do not work backward like you guys,” Thibodeau told
reporters. “The score was going the other way. He’s got to play.
“Derrick has to work on finishing, on closing. Our team did
not handle that part great. That’s what I was thinking.”
Rose’s injury took away from a bright start to the
post-season for the top-seeded Bulls, who also received a
19-point contribution from Richard Hamilton while Luol Deng
chipped in with 17 and Joakim Noah added 12 points and 13
rebounds.
Elton Brand led the eighth-seeded 76ers with 19 points.
Game Two of the best-of-seven series is set for Tuesday,
also in Chicago.
There was little drama in South Beach as the Heat began
their title chase in impressive style.
After a close opening quarter, the Heat took charge in the
second by outscoring the Knicks 30-13, James going on a 9-0 run
to end half and send Miami into the intermission with a
commanding 54-31 advantage. They never let off the gas.
Dwyane Wade contributed 19 points to the win while the other
member of Miami’s ‘Big Three’, Chris Bosh, had nine points and
six rebounds.
J.R. Smith had 17 points off the bench for the Knicks while
Carmelo Anthony had 11 points to go along with 10 rebounds.
(Reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto; Editing by Mark
Lamport-Stokes)
