Gibson says injury nothing serious

Of course, the Bulls endured a new injury during Game 1 of the playoffs. What else would you expect?

But this one doesn't seem too bad.

Taj Gibson went out with a left knee strain late in the contest and said Sunday he's in good shape.

"I feel better today," he said following practice at the Advocate Center. "It's kind of like football players. If you go 100 miles per hour every play in the playoffs, things are going to happen, but I feel fine."

Gibson thought it was a noncontact sort of injury.

"I went up for a rebound and I kind of hyperextended it a little bit," he said. "It just felt a little funny, but I could have went back in the game. I was on the little bike in the back. I felt good."

Of course, Gibson already had a sore left shoulder, which was bad enough that he got a cortisone shot last Wednesday. He wore a compression shirt beneath his jersey in Game 1 while producing 11 rebounds and 8 points in 25 minutes of action.

"It's still a little sore, but I'm on top of it," Gibson said of the shoulder. "It's playoffs. No time for excuses."

Kirk Hinrich, who missed Game 1 with a hyperextended left knee, is listed as questionable for Monday's contest. He could be seen shooting around after Sunday's practice.

"Kirk's a little better today," coach Tom Thibodeau said.

Seated bounce pass:

Pau Gasol provided some insight into his unusual seated assist. During Saturday's second half, Gasol fell backward to the floor and while in a sitting position, bounced a pass to Taj Gibson for a dunk.

"I was just trying to react to an unexpected fall," Gasol said Sunday. "Luckily, he was in the right spot at the right time and I was able to instinctively make a good pass. The defense probably thought I was going to turn it over."

Screen like the Celts:

Taj Gibson told a mildly interesting story Sunday about how coach Tom Thibodeau used his Boston Celtics team as the gold standard for setting screens.

"When Thibs was in Boston, they screened well," Gibson said. "When we were a much younger team, we always said we wanted to screen how Boston used to screen back in the day. I just took it upon myself, some of the bigs same thing, try to get guys open. That creates open space for us and them. Doing the small things. Small things in the playoffs go a long way."