Pacers Send Message to Bulls and the Rest of the Basketball World: This Is a Rivalry and It's Time to Take Notice; D-Rose Indirectly Follows Suit

by Glenn A. on Jan 26, 2012 2:57 PM EST in Indiana Pacers News

That's twice, Mr. Rose. Twice now that you've busted out of your docile shell to take aim at one particular team. And for those counting, that's two times more the overt emotion you've shown towards anyone else. If you recall, the first incident took place late last season. The Pacers won an overtime nailbiter at home; the competitive nature of the game was a more-than-apt foreshadowing of the direction these teams were headed. Derrick Rose took notice:

...It was the last regular-season meeting between the teams, but Rose wouldn't mind getting revenge."That's a team we could possibly see in the playoffs," he said. "I can't wait to play them again."

As documented by Tom and others, Rose's emotional instigator this time around centered on Indiana's celebration after getting a hard-fought, come-from-behind W in possibly the league's most hostile environment. Rose's insinuation? The Pacers celebrated too heartily. The real story? Indiana's a threat, and Rose knows it. The outcry of emotion only confirms it. You see, this wasn't about the celebration.Teams celebrate wins all of the time. Heck, Joakim Noah energetically celebrates any and every play that displays even a hint of team success.

But this wasn't just a celebration, it was a loss. Worse yet, it was a loss to "those guys." You know "those guys" who said they'd rather play the Bulls than anyone else in the playoffs. "Those guys" who warred against Rose's team in a physical five-game series, and who held a fourth-quarter lead in four of the five games. "Those guys" with the coach who tells anyone who will listen that his team can and will beat any opponent his Blue-and-Gold boys play.

Rose's emotional statements aren't going to suddenly convince the Pacers to become passive celebrators. No, no, what Rose's recent comments do is expose him as a player who's starting to get up for one team more than any other; a player who's starting to take certain games more personal than any other; a player who's subtly, but not-so-subtly announcing to the world that the NBA's got itself a new rivalry on its hands.

Rivalry re-visited March 5th 8:00 PM (EST) back at the United Center. Don't miss it.

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nice

Well written Glenn.

by bibb on Jan 26, 2012 3:16 PM EST reply actions

Paul George

Guards Rose better than anyone I’ve see, go PACERS!!!!

by EliB209 on Jan 26, 2012 3:56 PM EST reply actions

love your article

somerhing inside me just popped. can’t wait till we see you again mr.rose

by Granger4MVP on Jan 26, 2012 4:01 PM EST via mobile reply actions

Can't wait for the playoffs this year

Paul George looks better every game. Hopefully he watches some Durant tape an realizes if you’re 6’10 you’re very hard to guard.

by IndianaBoy on Jan 26, 2012 4:07 PM EST via mobile reply actions

Actually alot of 6'10 players that easily guarded in the NBA

Whoever lives past today and comes home safely will rouse himself each year on this day, show his neighbors his scars, and tell embellished stories of all their great feats of battle.

by brown11b on Jan 26, 2012 4:28 PM EST up reply actions

True

But not 6’10 shooting guards

by IndianaBoy on Jan 26, 2012 4:43 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

Glad you made the distinction. lol

A 6’10" athletic wing-man that can create off his own dribble, hit shots from any range on the floor, and is extremely athletic is a damned nightmare for opponents. That pretty much sums up where Paul George is headed.

On the other side of that, we have a guy that’s almost 6’10" and has the ball handling skills of an uncoordinated junior varsity player, can’t hit a shot from anywhere on the floor, and has a ponytail. That guy is NOT so hard to guard. I’ll let you figure out Lou I’m talking about. Oh, whoops. I meant “who I’m talking about.” My fault.

by Jmahoney on Jan 26, 2012 4:53 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

great article glenn

i’m loving that the pacers are the one team that gets under the skin of the bulls and their fans.

Harper's on Miller, McKey, gets in to Miller for the win and...

CHIEF

by wonillionaire on Jan 26, 2012 5:29 PM EST reply actions

Hey Glenn, any chance you have a link to the article talking about how the Pacers want to play the Bulls in the playoffs, I can’t seem to find it. But I feel like I remember it.

by gwoodsii on Jan 26, 2012 5:58 PM EST reply actions

I was referring to the...

…comments Granger made before last season’s playoffs. Here’s a link:
http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba/2011/04/danny-granger-bulls-easier-to-beat-than-celtics/

No Pacer has made any mention of who they’d like to play in the playoffs this season, though, judging by how motivated Indy gets when Chicago is on the schedule, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind a playoff rematch :)

by Glenn A. on Jan 26, 2012 10:46 PM EST up reply actions

Hey Drose, my man foster is excited too

I'm reading a book about anti-gravity. It's impossible to put down.// I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger, Then it hit me// A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.

by DrMustache on Jan 26, 2012 6:30 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

WWB World Wrestling Basketball

by PresidentDead69 on Jan 27, 2012 1:26 AM EST up reply actions

In terms of making a bigger deal about things than they really are

isn’t saying you’ll “never forget” how an opponent celebrated a regular season win>slightly overzealous celebration of a regular season victory? A year from now I wonder if most of the Pacers will have forgotten how it felt to win in Chicago, but D. Rose apparently won’t ever forget.

Maybe he should read up about a word called irony and try to remember that too.

by full sail on Jan 26, 2012 8:14 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

Mr. Reigning MVP Derrick Rose,

If our players were too rowdy for you in their locker room after the game, we meant no disrespect. Knowing our players, they are of good moral character and would not do anything to offend anyone.

That said, why don’t you just shove it….

Pardon my manners. Can’t help it this time.

by denggoy7 on Jan 26, 2012 9:01 PM EST reply actions

If he doesn't want us to celebrate, how about he takes the game into his hands

instead of passing it to someone who hasn’t hit a 3 yet

by DrMustache on Jan 26, 2012 9:02 PM EST up reply actions

This is just awesome.

I missed rivalries. Too bad the Knicks aren’t any good.

"A champion is someone who gets up when he can't."
- Jack Dempsey

by infinityzero.systemerror on Jan 26, 2012 9:35 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

but after all this time it still puts a smile on my face when they lose.

by DougInOz on Jan 26, 2012 9:56 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

YES.

Joakim Noah energetically celebrates any and every play that displays even a hint of team success.

88, 32, 7, 21, 17, 31

by carmelsown on Jan 26, 2012 9:57 PM EST reply actions

Yeah

Noah makes me puke the way he cheerleads on calls that go his way. Personally I wish West, Foster or Big Roy just smack the living shit outta him when he starts his rah-rah-rah. He’s just a Big Girl

***Forever Grunge...Man!***
*If Sacremento Sucks, then what are the Pacers?*

by rockguyinindy on Jan 26, 2012 11:34 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

It's now officially a rivalry...

Rose appears to have a great deal of disdain for the Pacers. Wonderful. I think the Pacers feel the same way about their divsion rivals. The disappointment in losing the playoff series to the Bulls last season has fueled the Pacers to become a much better team this season. The key players on both teams are young and there should be numerous classic matchups between these two teams for a long time. Derrick Rose says he cant wait for the next game against the Pacers. I dont expect the Pacers to back down.

by thomasezekiel77 on Jan 27, 2012 12:28 AM EST reply actions

Rose is dillusional

I get being competitive, never accepting a loss, all that. But there was no sort of out of hand celebration, if there were I’d be ashamed, believe me.

But hey, DRose being butthurt got the Pacers a segment on Around the Horn today, I’ll take all the exposure we can get regardless of how it happens.

"He's like Darth Vader." - Frank Vogel on Larry Bird

by IndyPacers on Jan 27, 2012 12:49 AM EST reply actions 1 recs