Rose sits out Bulls' latest loss
Injury of the day has become a staple on the Chicago Bulls' menu for the past month or do.
On Monday, Derrick Rose was scratched shortly before tipoff in Charlotte, citing “soreness all over.”
Without Rose or Jimmy Butler, the Bulls played an awful first quarter and fell behind by 18 points. They hung around after the slow start but lost 108-91. The Bulls have dropped three in a row and finished the ice-show road trip with a 2-5 record.
“It was a long, grinding trip,” coach Fred Hoiberg told reporters after the contest. “We played four games in six days in four different time zones. That's tough. It took a toll on our guys.”
It took a toll on Rose, who had played in 12 straight games. Hoiberg defended the decision to rest Rose.
“Derrick, he was not moving well in shootaround this morning,” Hoiberg said. “I think the big thing with Derrick right now is he's had his best stretch of the year and we want to continue to keep that going.
“So the decision was made. We were a part of that decision. It wasn't Derrick saying, ‘I'm absolutely not playing' ”
Pau Gasol led the Bulls in five different categories, with 22 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals. The reserves generally came up small, especially early on when they combined to hit 1 of their first 14 shots.
But the supporting players got plenty of minutes. Doug McDermott scored 14 points and hit 6 of 11 shots. Bobby Portis and Cameron Bairstow made some contributions, but Rose's replacements were off target. Kirk Hinrich hit 1 of 8 shots, while Aaron Brooks went 2-for-12.
The Bulls (27-24) fell behind 17-6, then 38-20 by the end of the first quarter. They cut the deficit to 12 but usually were burned by offensive rebounds whenever there was a chance to pull closer.
Hoiberg did his best to add a positive spin, even though the Bulls are 5-12 since Jan. 9.
“I thought the one thing we did do, we executed our stuff very well,” he said. “It's hard to shoot 38 percent and have 25 assists. We missed 55 shots. We were sharing the ball out there.
“If Derrick keeps playing the way he has, hopefully we'll get Jimmy back here soon and Niko (Mirotic). We'll get a full roster back with the exception of Jo (Noah).
“Mike (Dunleavy) I thought had some good flashes in the two games and he'll continue to get better. The big thing is moving ahead as full strength as we can be and hopefully making a run in the second half.”
Hoiberg is hopeful Rose will be able to play Wednesday when the Bulls return home to face Atlanta in the final game before the all-star break. Hoiberg said it's doubtful Butler will play Wednesday, and Mirotic probably will need at least a couple of weeks to get back in game shape after an appendectomy and hematoma removal.
Gasol talked about the Bulls' plight at the morning shootaround. They're sliding fast in the Eastern Conference standings but have posted an 8-3 record against the six teams with the best records in the league.
“This is who we have been for the last year-and-a-half or so,” Gasol said. “Right now we're going through a tough streak. … It's a time that you have to man up and prove it on the floor. Plain and simple.
“It's all opportunities in life; they're all opportunities to show who you really are, what you're really made of. And if you're going to step up or if you're just going to lay back. So let's see if we can step up.”
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