Thibodeau predicts great ending for Rose's NBA career
The United Center was certainly buzzing about Derrick Rose's rejuvenation tour. The former Bulls MVP produced 24 points and 8 assists in just his second time playing in Chicago as an opposing player.
After the contest, Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau talked about Rose's resurgence this season.
"A big thing with Derrick is, I think he's on his way again," Thibodeau said. "Every story has a beginning, a middle and an end. I think his end is going to be great.
"The thing about Derrick is, there's a real quiet confidence about him and a humility. He's not one of those guys, even when he was MVP, he never walked around pounding his chest, look at me. That's just not who he is.
"When we signed him, there was minimal risk. But I liked from studying him in New York and knowing who he is and knowing what's inside him, I felt it was worth the risk. I knew there could be a great upside to it and there has been."
No setback for LaVine:
Bulls guard Zach LaVine suggested his injured left ankle was 80 percent healthy on Wednesday. After scoring 28 points in 26 minutes, he said the recovery is still going well.
"I've played through injuries. I know you saw me limping a little bit, but I've got to play eventually," he said Thursday at the Advocate Center. "I don't feel like sitting out or anything like that. My ankle is stable and I've just got to get used to cutting and moving, so there's going to be some pain.
"I'm OK. I taped the heck out of it. I had on like a soft cast yesterday. Took a big old pair of scissors to cut off."
After the game, Bulls coach Jim Boylen explained why he limited rookie center Wendell Carter Jr.'s minutes in the second half.
"He's got a couple of nagging things," Boylen said. "With the game out of reach, I think it was good to keep him out."
Bricks for winners:
One strange sidebar to the Bulls-Timberwolves series is Minnesota's Andrew Wiggins and Robert Covington shot a combined 1-for-30 from the field when the Bulls lost at the Target Center on Nov. 24. On Wednesday, that pair was 2-for-16 at halftime before Wiggins heated up a bit in the third quarter.
But with two starters going 3-for-46 from the field (that's 6-5 percent), Minnesota won the first game by 15 and led the rematch at the UC by 23 points at intermission. Covington is a Chicago native who went to Proviso West High School.
Two-way player deal official:
The Bulls officially signed Brandon Sampson to a two-way contract on Thursday and released point guard Tyler Ulis, who is out for the season after having hip surgery. Sampson is a 6-5 rookie guard from LSU. He went undrafted last June and had been playing for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, averaging 17.6 points.
In other Windy City Bulls news, forward JaKarr Sampson left the team to play in China and Windy City brought back Lockport native Karrington Ward, who was released on Nov. 8.