Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl

Derrick Rose’s night started with a trophy presentation from commissioner David Stern and ended with those familiar “MVP! MVP!” chants from the crowd.

In between, he dominated in spurts. He struggled at times, too.

In the end, all that mattered was this: The Bulls and Hawks are now tied.

Rose scored 25 points, Joakim Noahadded 19 points and 14 rebounds, and Chicago beat Atlanta 86-73 in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Wednesday night to knot this series.

The top-seeded Bulls shook off a dismal performance in the opener and looked more like the team with a league-high 62 wins, building a 14-point lead and ending the game on a 9-2 run after the Hawks got within six.

Now, the series shifts to Atlanta for Games 3 and 4 Friday and Sunday, with Chicago at least in better shape after a 103-95 loss in Game 1.

Rose, meanwhile, can focus on the task at hand. The past few days were a blur for the Chicago product, with the news about his MVP breaking, the formal announcement on Tuesday and the presentation with Stern before the opening tip.

“I’m just happy that it’s over now, and we can just ball out,” Rose said.

The superstar point guard showed just why he became the youngest player to win the award — at least in the first half, when he scored 16 points.

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