Rose a game-time decision Tues. (hamstring)
CHICAGO — Bulls point guard Derrick Rose is a game-time decision for Tuesday night’s game against the Miami Heat because of ongoing issues with right hamstring tendinitis.
“Derrick made it through a lot of practice [Monday],” Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg said. “Sat him out a little bit … we’ll see [Tuesday] with Derrick. We’ll see how he responded to practice and make a game-time decision [Tuesday].”
Rose, who has missed 10 games this year, including three straight because of the injury, has been dealing with the same problem off and on throughout the season.
“He’s feeling better,” Hoiberg said Monday. “When I worked him out the morning of the Washington game [last Wednesday], he was in a lot of pain. [Sunday] he worked out again and he had less pain. This morning he got a good warm-up in, got a good workout before practice, participated in most of it, and that’s a good sign that he has not had a setback after some good hard workouts. So again, we’ll see how he’s doing [Tuesday], he made it through part of the scrimmage [Monday] and hopefully he’ll be available if not [Tuesday], then in Orlando.”
While Hoiberg is hopeful that Rose will be back soon, he also wants to allow Rose to feel comfortable on the floor before sending him out to play again.
“That’s the big thing right now, it’s basically an injury that’s based on feel. If he feels like he can explode off it — if he feels good enough to go out there and play, he’ll play. If not, if he’s still got trouble exploding off the leg, then we’ll take the cautious approach and sit him.”
Rose has taken criticism from some Bulls fans for not playing through pain and for sitting out games because of “general soreness.” Rose has been very clear in recent days that he will decide if and when he plays.
Hoiberg backed up Rose’s decision again on Monday.
“Look, nobody wants to be out there more than Derrick does, I know that,” Hoiberg said. “It’s just he cannot explode off that leg and that’s what was holding him back.”
In other Bulls injury news, Hoiberg said Jimmy Butler (left knee sprain) and Nikola Mirotic (appendectomy/hematoma removal) would not travel with the team to Florida. It remains unclear when either player will return to the floor.
Mirotic has not played since January 25. Butler has not played since Feb. 5.
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