Rose refutes tall tale of the tape
Derrick Rose refused to blame a tight tape job for his most recent ankle problems.
The suggestion was made during Thursday's TNT broadcast that Rose's sore ankle was caused by constrictive tape during last Sunday's game at Detroit.
“I wouldn't say that,” he said before playing Dallas. “Just playing again, getting my minutes back over time, playing the way I play, I think that has something to do with it more than the tape.”
Rose said earlier this week he was experiencing fluid buildup in the ankle and sat out three games. Before coming back Saturday against Dallas, Rose had missed 16 of the previous 19 games with a groin injury, right ankle sprain, and now the fluid buildup in the ankle.
“It feels like a regular ankle sprain now,” he said. “My tendons aren't sore like they were previous days.”
Before taking the court, Rose did say he was hoping to skip the athletic tape and wear his usual ankle braces.
Unfinished business:
The Bulls now have three days off for the only time this season besides the all-star break, before playing their final two games. Coach Tom Thibodeau said Saturday he's in no hurry for the regular season to end.
“The thing is, you want to finish what you started,” he said. “We feel there's still work to be done. This is a chance for us to improve, try to clean some things up. For us, our perimeter players have missed a lot of games. So hopefully we'll have an opportunity to get those guys some work.”
Playoff mystery:
The Bulls need 1 win in their final two games to clinch the No. 1 seed in the East, but the identity of their first-round opponent may go down to the wire.
Philadelphia won at Indiana on Saturday and is tied for 7th place with New York. The Knicks own the head-to-head tiebreaker and each team has three games remaining.
Milwaukee, meanwhile, has no room for error. The Bucks will make the playoffs only if they win their final three contests, while the 76ers lose all three.
Pass the soft serve:
Before the game, coach Tom Thibodeau was asked if he'd ever request a more physical style from his team, in the wake of Miami's 2 flagrant fouls Thursday.
“You can't be a dominant rebounding team being soft,” he said. “So I wouldn't say we're soft.”
Bull horns:
The Bulls held Dallas to 8 points in the first quarter, setting a franchise-low for the Mavs in the opening quarter. They'd scored 9 in the first quarter three times. ... Dallas guard Roddy Beaubois dislocated a finger on his left hand in the first half, but returned to the game. ... Bulls players have missed 97 games due to injuries or illness this season, compared to 61 last year.