Good news on Rose's foot
There was plenty of good news surrounding Bulls guard Derrick Rose on Monday.
Most important, he participated in a full practice at the Phoenix Suns' facility and reported no problems with the sore left foot that kept him on the bench for the last 6:42 of Saturday's victory over the Suns.
Following the game, Rose said it had been sore for a while, but he felt a sharp pain on the top of his left foot when he hit the ground after a breakaway dunk.
"It felt good; not bothering me," Rose said. "We had a good practice. Everybody seems focused. The coaching staff really (was) getting into it."
Rose also officially was announced as a participant in the PlayStation Skills Challenge during all-star weekend in Phoenix, where he will compete against San Antonio's Tony Parker, New Jersey's Devin Harris and Orlando's Jameer Nelson.
The skills challenge features a basketball obstacle course featuring dribbling, shooting and passing stations. Previous winners in the event have been Utah's Deron Williams, Miami's Dwyane Wade (twice) and Phoenix's Steve Nash.
The only bad news for Rose is he lost out to Nets center Brook Lopez for Eastern Conference rookie of the month in January. Rose was given the honor in November and December.
Bulls find right page: Coach Vinny Del Negro tried to assess why he thinks the Bulls have been playing better lately. They completed their first three-game winning streak in nearly two years by defeating the Suns on Saturday.
"I think the guys are in a good mind-set now," he said after Monday's practice. "They know we're playing better. And I think they're understanding their roles and their jobs better and how I work and what I believe in.
"We're just trying to get on the same page, as people would say, but it's taken a little longer than I probably would like because of the issues we've had this year with injuries and other things."
Bull horns: Power forward Drew Gooden practiced with the team Monday, and coach Vinny Del Negro said it's conceivable Gooden could play Saturday against Dallas. He has missed seven games since suffering groin and abdominal strains Jan. 12 against Portland. - During the three-game winning streak, the Bulls haven't trailed by more than 2 points at any time after the first quarter.