Derrick Rose exits with sprained ankle, alleges flagrant foul by Greg Monroe
— -- MILWAUKEE --? Derrick Rose left the? Cleveland Cavaliers' 116-97 win over the Bucks on Friday with a sprained left ankle stemming from a hit by Milwaukee center Greg Monroe that the former MVP said should have been called a flagrant foul.
"I think I'm the only person in the league that's not getting a flagrant for that call, bro," Rose said after scoring 12 points in 23 minutes before exiting the game for good with 10:12 remaining in the fourth quarter. "Come on, man. Like, I'm sure I'm the only player, but it is what it is. ... That's a common foul. Wow. Come on."
Rose attempted a reverse layup early in the fourth quarter that Monroe contested, catching Rose around the neck and head with his left arm while the Cavs guard was airborne. When Rose went to the ground, his left ankle turned inward, causing the sprain.
The three-man officiating crew of Marc Davis, Josh Tiven and Gediminas Petraitis reviewed the play on the replay monitor and upheld the original designation of a common foul. The referees explained to the Cavs' coaching staff that Monroe "didn't do it with any intent," a team source told ESPN.
The NBA rulebook defines a flagrant foul 1 as unnecessary contact committed by a player against an opponent.
Dwyane Wade supported his teammate's claim.
"I ain't got calls in the last seven years, so I definitely understand what he's talking about," Wade said. "It's unfortunate, a guy goes down and he can't protect himself. From what we're told, as players, if they go around the neck it's automatic. And, Derrick said it when he got here. He said, 'Listen, y'all, I ain't gonna get calls.' And it continues to happen to him. But he's going to keep attacking the rim. That's his nature and that's who he is and we know that. So, hopefully next time, it's rewarded."
Rose has attempted 10 free throws in two games with the Cavs. Last season he averaged 4.0 free throw attempts per game with the New York Knicks even though he was tied for 11th in the league with an average of 10.0 drives per game, according to NBA.com/Stats.
He was asked why he believes he hasn't been the beneficiary of as many whistles as he feels he deserves. "I don't know man," Rose said. "Go back and look at the history. It's there."
The Cavs ruled Rose out for the tail end of Cleveland's back-to-back Saturday at home against the Orlando Magic.
Rose stayed in the game to shoot two free throws -- making both -- before he went to the bench.
He walked out of the locker room on his own -- without the aid of crutches -- but wore a soft sleeve on his ankle.
"I mean, it's a sprain," Rose said. "It is what it is. There's nothing I can do about that. Take me out [in] the air, kind of twisted my ankle when I came down. So, get a lot of treatment and see how it feels [Saturday]."
Lue said if Rose cannot play he likely would start Jose Calderon in his place as to not disrupt the rest of the Cavs' rotation that the coach has already tinkered with through Cleveland's 2-0 start.
Rose was more concerned with how missing a game could affect his conditioning than he was with how his ankle would heal.
"I haven't had any problems with my ankle in a long time," Rose said. "I don't even wear braces anymore, which lets you know. So, I haven't had any problems with it. Now, just got to make sure I get treatment, and if anything, I don't lose the conditioning that I've built up and that I have right now. I'm in great shape right now, so I'll be back."
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