Bulls won't have Mirotic for Game 3

Bulls rookie Nikola Mirotic has been ruled out of Thursday's Game 3 at Milwaukee due to a left knee injury.

Mirotic rode a stationary bike during Wednesday's practice at the Advocate Center. When most other players had left the floor, Mirotic walked out and did some shooting, but it was sedentary set shots. He didn't do any running or jumping.

"He's feeling better, but he still has a ways to go," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said.

After Thursday, the games arrive quickly. Game 4 is set for Saturday afternoon at the Bradley Center and if a Game 5 is necessary, it would be Monday in Chicago. The possibility exists that Mirotic may not play again in this first-round series. The Bulls lead the series 2-0.

Teammate Pau Gasol talked about the pending absence of Mirotic.

"He adds a lot of versatility to our frontcourt," Gasol said. "The floor is going to be more open when he's out there because of his shooting ability. So I'm sure we're going to miss some of his stuff. At the same time, Taj (Gibson) is going to get more minutes and needs to get going. We'll just work with what we have as we've done all season long."

Mirotic was injured in the final minutes of the Bulls' 91-82 victory in Game 2. It wasn't clear if he was hurt during a collision with Bucks guard O.J. Mayo or an ensuing fight for the loose ball with center Zaza Pachulia.

Gibson played 11 minutes in Game 2 after getting in early foul trouble and did not score.

It looks like the Bulls will get Kirk Hinrich back for Game 3. He's officially listed as questionable with a hyperextended left knee, but he was running and cutting at full speed when he shot baskets after practice. Hinrich has missed the last four games.

Gasol is like Magic:

Pau Gasol was named winner of the Magic Johnson Award, presented annually by the Pro Basketball Writers Association to the player who demonstrates excellence both on the court and when dealing to the media.

Although he grew up speaking Spanish, Gasol is as eloquent and cooperative as any NBA player. He rarely declines interviews after games.

"I just try to be helpful," Gasol said Wednesday. "I try to help other people do their jobs well. I understand my position and that this is a part of our jobs. So I always try to be kind and polite, even when I'm not feeling great or I might be upset because of the loss, but I understand that it's still part of my job to be one of the team's leaders and role models to kind of stand up and share my thoughts."

The last Bulls player to win the Magic Johnson Award was Jalen Rose, now a studio analyst on ABC and ESPN.

Ready for rough stuff:

Pau Gasol discussed the physical nature of Game 2 and whether that will continue on Thursday in Milwaukee.

"We handled it well," he said. "We stood our ground. We didn't handle it out of character. We understand playoffs is a physical time. There's going to be tough plays. There's going to be more stuff allowed. You've just got to play through it and set the tone yourself and try to be aggressive."