After the three fierce games on the opening day of the 2013–2014 NBA season came to an end, the entire basketball world was instantly thrown into an uproar. At the center of the frenzy were the heated discussions surrounding those spectacular matchups.
Countless fans flooded major forums, social media platforms, and live sports broadcasts, eagerly sharing their opinions and insights on the games.
Amid the wave of discussion, the Boston Celtics became the center of attention.
Especially after people watched the Boston Celtics comfortably crush their Eastern Conference rivals, the Chicago Bulls, public opinion suddenly became exceptionally clear.
Nearly every fan firmly believed that in the coming season, the team that would emerge from the Eastern Conference and reach the Finals would undoubtedly be the powerful, deeply established Boston Celtics once again.
Given the current landscape, looking across the entire Eastern Conference, if there was any team besides the Boston Celtics capable of challenging them, it was undoubtedly the Chicago Bulls.
Whether considering the completeness of their roster or focusing on their unquestioned cornerstone, Derrick Rose, the Chicago Bulls showed every sign of continuing to rise and grow stronger.
What was especially worth mentioning was the astonishing form and dominance Derrick Rose displayed in the opening-day matchup.
He made 14 of 29 shots for the game. He was remarkably accurate from beyond the arc, hitting 6 of 11 three-pointers, while also going a steady 8-for-10 from the free-throw line.
With such a heroic performance, Derrick Rose poured in 42 points by himself, while adding 7 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks in an all-around stat line.
Yet even such an almost freakish statistical output was still unable to reverse his team's overall decline.
At the root of it all, the key factor behind this outcome was the mysterious