Rose thinks he’ll play Sunday
By Mike McGraw
As Derrick Rose walked off the practice court at the Berto Center, he felt confident about playing Sunday against the New York Knicks and finally ending a 12-game absence due to a groin injury.
“It’s feeling good,” he said. “My groin’s not bothering me. I’m happy to move on. My spirits are up. Today is my first full practice. Just practicing with the guys felt good out there. Hopefully, I’ll be playing Sunday.”
Of course, the game-day excitement must be tempered with caution. Rose might be feeling good today, but keeping him healthy for the playoffs is much more important than a single game at Madison Square Garden — no matter how many New Yorkers believe the arena is center of the NBA universe.
“He’s practiced well, hasn’t had any problems the next day,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “As long as it stays that way, hopefully he’ll be ready. It’s game-time (decision). We’re optimistic and we’re hopeful.”
If Rose does play Sunday, Thibodeau suggested he might see limited minutes, initially.
“You won’t know until he gets out there,” the coach said. “He’s never missed an extended amount of time like this. Every other time when he’s come back, he usually gets up to speed pretty quickly.”
History supports Thibodeau’s statement, but Rose had never been out longer than five games at a time before this injury. Here’s a look at his earlier return games:
Ÿ After missing four games with a toe injury, Rose scored 22 points in 36 minutes in a win over New Jersey on Jan. 13.
Ÿ After missing five games with back spasms, he scored 23 points in 35 minutes in a home win against Atlanta on Feb. 20.
Ÿ The only other extended absence of Rose’s career was four games off after getting decked by Dwight Howard in the 2009-10 season. He returned with 23 points in 37 minutes in a win at Philadelphia.
“I’m good. I’m not worried about my conditioning,” Rose said. “Every since I’ve been able to run, I’ve been working out in the pool, working on my cardio. I should be all right.
“I think it’s up to me. If I want to play a certain amount of minutes — if I do choose to play — it’s up to me, I think. I know if it’s a close game, no matter how many minutes they allow me to play, I know I’m going to go out there; probably fight somebody to go out there. But I should be all right.”
Likewise, Rose put the onus on himself to decide whether he’s healthy enough to play Sunday. The Bulls will face the Knicks again on Tuesday at the United Center. They have 10 games left in the regular season.
“If I’m feeling good, I’m going to play,” Rose said. “If I think that I need some more days, I’m going to take some more days. More than likely, I’ll be out there.
“Hopefully tomorrow I won’t have any soreness or anything and I should be ready to play.”
mmcgraw@dailyherald.com. Get the latest Bulls news via Twitter by following McGrawDHBulls.