Derrick Rose is enjoying an MVP-type of season, but in the 10 games prior to Wednesday, the Chicago Bulls point guard couldn't find his touch from 10 feet and beyond.
That changed against the Los Angeles Clippers. Rose went 11-of-18 from the field and 4-of-8 from 3-point range in a 106-88 win over the Clippers.
"His will is just very strong, and he has that, 'I need to make sure we this win on the road' [mentality]," Bulls forward Brian Scalabrine said Thursday on "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000. "He took us to that level.
"Sometimes at home Derrick lets the game come to him, but last night he was aggressive from the start. When he has that mentality, we're tough."
Rose missed a free throw in 100-99 loss to the Clippers on Dec. 18 at the United Center.
"They beat us last time. I wanted some revenge," Rose said Wednesday. "It was because of me that we lost [in December] where I missed the free throw. And that really hurt me.
"If anything, it made me stronger as a player. But in these type of games you never want to be in that type of situation where a free throw is the reason why you lost the game. We just wanted to come out here and be aggressive and try to take control of the game early."
Rose scored 32 points and dealt 11 assists as the Bulls won their sixth straight and are tied with the Miami Heat for the second-best record in the East.
"I played with some guys that have some serious will," Scalabrine said. "Kevin Garnett has a strong will to win, Paul Pierce. Jason Kidd had a very strong will to win. The difference is Derrick can really do something about it.
"When Derrick has it going, I don't think there's one guy in the NBA who can stop him. I know sometimes two can stop him, or as a team they can stop him, but one guy on him at the top of the key, I like Derrick Rose against anybody. "