Rose, who is from Chicago, has become one of the stars of the league and clearly the team leader.

The deal works well for both sides, as Chicago locks up its star and Rose gets great financial security and stability.

The Bulls likely saw how the Chris Paul situation developed and didn’t want a similar problem down the road with Rose.

His teammates are excited that the league’s reigning MVP is locked up and won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

Chicago jumped out to an 11-point lead in the first quarter only to watch Miami score eight unanswered to close the gap.

The Bulls took a narrow lead into halftime and increased in slightly heading into the fourth quarter, but they just couldn’t make it happen in crunch time.

LeBron James was simply too much, finishing with 35 points. The Bulls continue to struggle shooting from the outside, and Miami’s interior defense has stepped it up significantly since their embarassing loss in the series opener.

The Bulls really have their work cut out for them now. They do have two potential home games remaining in the series, but winning three straight games against the Heat seems pretty far fetched.

Maybe Jordan is just showing some love to his Bulls, but Rose certainly seems to be among the top candidates for the award.

Jordan said that if Rose does not win the award, the point guard will see how he felt for all of those years.

Rose is currently averaging 25 points, eight assists and four rebounds per game to lead the Bulls.

He said that Jordan’s comments meant a lot, but that his main focus is to help the team keep winning.

He even had to go to the hospital for a procedure, and he said doctors put a camera down his throat.

He said it was a long, hard day at the hospital and that he initially thought he was just dealing with heartburn.

Rose said it remains very painful for him to eat and swallow but that he thinks he is starting to improve.

He is hoping to return to action in the near future, but his energy level is low because he hasn’t been able to eat much food.

Noah is expected to be out 10-12 weeks, which is a huge blow to the Bulls and their postseason hopes.

The Bulls will likely make the playoffs, but end up with a tough road because of a medicore record.

Noah said he was frustrated by the injury because he knows he is not able to play at a high level.

He expressed frustration that the injury has kept him from practicing and said he just needs to get it fixed at this point.

Seven minutes to go. Down by six points and looking dead in the water. It didn’t matter for the Chicago Bulls, who found their stride just in time Monday night.

Derrick Rose scored eight of his 18 points during a final-quarter rally, and the Bulls held on at the finish for a thrilling 94-92 victory at United Center.

The Bulls looked up at an 80-74 deficit with seven minutes to go. But Chicago went on a 16-6 run, and Rose scored half of the points on the surge as the Bulls took a 90-86 lead.

Denver pulled within one point on two Carmelo Anthony free throws with 11 seconds left. The Nuggets would have a chance to hit a 3-pointer late but missed. Joakim Noah pulled down 19 rebounds for the Bulls. Rose also had six assists.

Chicago, now 3-3 on the season, faces Golden State on Thursday night at home, then takes on Washington at home on Saturday.

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Luol Deng put together the type of night Monday that could vault the Chicago Bulls well above .500 and squarely into the Eastern Conference playoff race this season.

Granted, the season is just three games old. But Deng hung a career-high 40 points on the Portland Trail Blazers, lifting the Bulls to a 110-98 victory and a 2-1 record on the young campaign.

Deng did most of his damage in both the first and third quarters, scoring 16 points in each quarter. He sparked a 12-0 run that gave the Bulls an 11-point lead against the previously unbeaten Blazers.

Derrick Rose, who entered the game leading the NBA in scoring, added 16 points and matched a career high with 13 assists.

Chicago plays host to New York on Thursday, looking to go to 3-1 on the season. The Bulls haven’t finished north of .500 since a 49-33 season in 2006-07.

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The injury will require surgery after breaking the fifth metacarpal in his hand. He said the injury occurred when he tripped over a bag and fell.

It’s certainly not good news for the Bulls, who acquired Boozer in the offseason and will now miss him for the first month of the regular season.

He was the team’s top offseason acquisition, and it won’t help that the Bulls won’t have him to try and build team chemistry to start the year.

Chicago is likely to ask Joakim Noah to pick up the slack while Boozer is sidelined, and Tahj Gibson is also expected to take on an increased role.

He said that Noah is going to come out and give it his all every night, but you never know what you will get with Carmelo.

Pippen cited Carmelo’s issues with the coaching staff in Denver and his willingness to be traded as reasons for concern.

He believes that a team like Chicago, which is just trying to establish itself, might run into trouble with Anthony.

He is also concerned that Carmelo could come to Chicago and not like it, then decide to demand another trade.

Rose knows his outside shooting and defense are both a work in progress and has been using the summer to get better in each area.

The point guard is playing with Team USA this summer and wants to carry his defensive effort over into the NBA season.

Rose is plenty athletic and has a big wingspan for a guard, giving him a good body for a defender.

You have to love Rose’s attitude and motivation to become a better all-around basketball player.