Derrick Rose Dismisses Indiana Pacers as Rivals; Records 31 Points & 9 Assists In Preseason Game

Chicago Bulls' star Derrick Rose put up a terrific performance in only his fourth game from injury, recording 32 points and 9 assists to lead his team to a 103-98 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Friday at the United Center.

Rose was nothing but impressive during 31 minutes of action against a Pacers team that pushed the Miami Heat to the limit in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals series last season.

Other than his blinding speed and penetrating ability, the former NBA Most Valuable Player has shown consistency in his jump shots throughout the ball game as he hit 9-for-15 from the field, including 4-for-7 from beyond the arc.

Rose's performance drew praises from his teammates, fans and basketball analysts, who all agreed that the Bulls star is now officially back in form.

The 24-year old Rose spent more than one year to rehabilitate from a crucial surgery to repair his torn ACL in his knee. But after a grueling process, Rose has returned to lead the Bulls to the promise land - NBA Championship.

When asked if the Pacers emerges as a rival to them, the Bulls star dismissed that notion as he believed LeBron James and the Heat are the only rivals he consider.

"People say that it's a rivalry, but I don't really see it," Rose told ESPN. "I say the team that is more like a rivalry is when Darren Collison was on the team. That one was more like a rivalry, but this team is a great team. They've already proven themselves last year by making it to the Eastern Conference finals.

"If you want say [that], yeah. For sure, Miami," added Rose, who is expected to be one of few basketball elites to end LeBron's two-year reign as Most Valuable Player in the league.

Meanwhile, Pacers All-Star Danny Granger doesn't agree with Rose's thinking as he believes his team and the Bulls will always bring history of their rivalry every time they face each other.

"I think Chicago will always be a rival," Granger told ESPN. "When you go to the United Center, it's crazy. They have a big home-court advantage there.

"They have a huge following, not only locally in Chicago but nationally as well, and I think they'll always be a rival to us. We're really close, so a lot of times there's a lot of Bulls fans here and vice versa. I think as long as we're in the division, we're going to be rivals," he added.

Rivalry or not, the Indiana Pacers and the Chicago Bulls are two powerhouse teams in the East that have legitimate shot to dethrone the Miami Heat.