The importance of a full roster and the chance build some chemistry on the court was evident late in the Bulls' 101-98 preseason loss to Orlando on Monday.

Trailing by 1 with under a minute to play, the Bulls needed a basket, but ended up with center Brad Miller firing a hook shot over Orlando all-star Dwight Howard.

Probably not the first choice as a means to replace Ben Gordon's late-game scoring, right coach?

"Maybe not my second choice," Vinny Del Negro deadpanned. "The more healthy bodies you have, the more options you have.

"It wouldn't be the lineup I'd use if it were a regular season game, but I thought they did some good stuff out there. I was happy with the way we competed."

The Bulls didn't have Derrick Rose or John Salmons on the floor late in the game, two players who figure to lead the team in scoring this season.

Salmons tallied 19 points against the Magic, but sat at the end because he'd already played 30 minutes. Rose hasn't played or practice since injuring his right ankle in the Oct. 2 preseason opener at Indiana.

The chronically short-handed preseason has been a setback. But some young players, mainly forward Taj Gibson, have gotten valuable experience and there is still a week of practice before the Bulls open the regular season Oct. 29 against San Antonio.

"We're confident. We really believe we have a good team," forward Luol Deng said after Monday's game. "We know every night it might be a different guy, but we really want to focus on playing together defensively."

The Bulls skipped practice Tuesday to watch film and lift weights. Rose said again he expects to return soon, though it may not be in time for Friday's preseason finale against Washington.

"If he's not feeling tremendously better in the next couple of days, then he won't play," Del Negro said. "The practice time to me is more of a concern than Friday."

Rose suggested he's capable of playing right now, and if it were playoff time he'd definitely be on the court. But with the regular season a week away, the Bulls' medical staff is exercising caution.

Rose did offer one bit of encouraging news - he was able to beat massive center Jerome James in some sprints before Monday's contest.

"I ran a lot," Rose said Tuesday. "Me and Jerome James were running together. I did a whole bunch of drills with the weight ball and then did sprints up the court. So I ran about 20 or 30 minutes.

"I ran well. It as hurting, but when it got loose, I really couldn't feel it until this morning. So hopefully I'll be playing (on Friday)."

Rose also clarified the injury. He said he was just about ready to jump toward the basket and was on the ball of his right foot when one of Indiana's big men stepped on his ankle.

"It's not really my ankle," he added. "It's the tendon in my ankle."

Either way, the Bulls need their floor general back on the court as soon as possible.