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Bulls playing it safe with Rose's playing time

MILWAUKEE - When Tom Thibodeau met with reporters before Wednesday's game, most people probably thought Derrick Rose would sit out against the Bucks. He'd already missed two games with dual sprained ankles, and the Bulls issued an injury report in the afternoon that listed Rose as questionable.

"It's just being honest. I don't know - probable, questionable - it's all the same to me," Thibodeau said. "We don't want to put him out there until he's comfortable."

As it turned out, Rose was comfortable enough to start the contest. He finished with 13 points and 7 assists in 32 minutes.

Considering Rose missed all but 10 games over the past two seasons with two knee surgeries, it probably makes sense to be especially cautious with ankle sprains. He doesn't need one injury leading to another.

"The thing is, he's got to play," Thibodeau added. "He'll get back. It's going to take time. You can't miss the amount of time that he's missed and get it all back right away. He has to be patient.

"Where he is today compared to where he was a month ago, he's made up quite a bit of ground. What you don't plan on is a sprained ankle. This time, it's two. You wonder how it doesn't happen more often. He's got to deal with that and part of that is the physicality of playing all the time, that's why I do feel it's important that he's out there."

Joakim Noah missed his second straight game due to an illness, but Thibodeau expected Noah to join the team on a postgame flight to Philadelphia. The Bulls face the 76ers on Friday.

Parker on target:

Heading into Wednesday's action, Bucks forward Jabari Parker was living up to his billing as a favorite for rookie of the year. Parker led all NBA rookies in scoring (10.5 points) and rebounds (7.0).

"The thing we've all liked is that he's so unselfish," Milwaukee coach Jason Kidd said. "It's not about scoring 25 points a night, it's about winning; putting your teammates in a good position offensively, helping on defense. He's doing everything. So he's growing each minute he's out on the floor. He might make some rookies mistakes, but it's with the right intent."

The 6-foot-8-inch Parker is a Chicago native who attended Simeon Career Academy a few years after Derrick Rose. Parker spent a year at Duke before being chosen with the No. 2 pick of the 2014 draft.

Parker hit just 4 of 12 shots on Wednesday, finishing with 8 points and 6 rebounds.

Kidd talks up Thibs:

Jason Kidd - who went from a player for the Knicks, to head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, to head coach of the Bucks in the last three years - had these thoughts about Tom Thibodeau's Bulls.

"They take on their coach's personality," he said. "He's a fighter, he's a grinder, he's going to compete. They compete for 48 minutes no matter who's in the lineup or who's out. They believe in one another. They've been together for some time. So they're probably the favorites in the East."

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