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Will Rose play versus Celtics Thursday night? By Fakhouri Amjid PhilBoxing.com Fri, 06 Apr 2012 ![]() CHICAGO -- Thanks to their bench depth, the Chicago Bulls have done quite well without superstar Derrick Rose, who has missed action since March 12 after injuring his groin in the New York Knicks game at the United Center. But the league-leading Bulls (42-13) are going through a yawning stretch of mediocrity, losing back-to-back games for the first time in 14 months. Obviously, the Bulls desperately need their floor general and reigning league MVP back in uniform. The plot only thickens Thursday night when the Tabasco-hot Boston Celtics, who've won 6 of their last 7 games, invade the United Center in a showdown between two Eastern Conference heavyweights. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound Rose has missed 11 consecutive starts and 21 games overall. He is averaging 22.8 points, 8 assists and 3.5 rebounds per in 34 games. And so the question beckons: "Will Rose play?" The official line is that Rose is a "game-time decision," which means his anticipated return is not etched in stone. But there's some lingering hope. "I'm an optimist. I always believe it could happen," Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters yesterday. Rose took part in the Bulls' full practice Wednesday at the Berto Center and "took full contact," according to the Chicago Tribune. Rose was joined in practice by fellow Bull Rip Hamilton, who is recovering from a bum shoulder. Still, Rose is unsure of his playing status. "I felt good (at practice) but me playing (Thursday), I don't know," he told the Chicago Tribune. "I was able to run a little bit more but not at my top speed. I really can't explain (the pain) unless you've had the injury." But the danger here is not just losing to the Celtics, which would make it three in a row for the Bulls. The peril lies in compromising the health of the franchise's biggest asset moving forward. "My biggest thing is coming back too quick and re-injuring it," Rose added. Even with Rose resting, the Bulls-Celtics duel figures to be a treat for fans as it features the Boston's Big Three against Chicago's Bench Mob. (Fahkouri Amjid) Click here to view a list of other articles written by Fakhouri Amjid. ![]() |
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