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Thibodeau on Rose's lack of free throws: 'It looks like there's a lot of contact to me'

Benny Sieu / USA TODAY Sports

Derrick Rose can't buy a free throw right now, but that won't stop Tom Thibodeau from trying to buy one for him.

Thibodeau appeared to be planting a seed with officials - one that may cost him in the form of a fine - following the Chicago Bulls' Game 2 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.

"I guess he's got to go harder, I don't know," Thibodeau said after Rose went a third straight game without drawing a free throw for the first time in his career. "It looks like there's a lot of contact to me. But obviously others don't see it that way."

Rose has been settling for too many jumpers and threes despite putrid shooting (6-of-20 in Game 2 and 17-of-46 for the series), but the former MVP has also been getting into the paint, to no avail.

Eighteen of Rose's 46 field-goal attempts in the series have come from the paint. That not one of those has yielded a free-throw attempt seems rather peculiar for a player that drew free throws on over 22 percent of his field-goal attempts this season.

The fact the Bulls' point guard isn't converting from close range isn't helping.

On Wednesday in Cleveland, Rose went 2-of-8 in the paint and missed all three of his attempts in the restricted area after a 3-of-10 performance in the paint in Game 1.

For his part, Rose refuses to complain about the officiating.

"I don't even want to talk about that," Rose said following Game 2, as reported by ESPN's Nick Friedell. "I'm playing, and if they're not calling it, they're just not calling it."

Rose, Thibodeau and the Bulls will have to hope for a more friendly whistle when the series shifts to Chicago for Games 3 and 4 this weekend.

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