Derrick Rose sat out of the Bulls’ Saturday night win over the Bucks due to -- gulp -- knee soreness.
It didn’t matter, largely thanks to Pau Gasol going off for a career-high 46 points.
But we all know that as far as the Bulls championship chances go, they’ll need a healthy Rose come playoff time to attempt to see that dream realized. Thankfully, this latest setback only lasted a single contest.
From K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune:Derrick Rose said he will play Monday night when the Chicago Bulls face the Orlando Magic at the United Center, returning after missing one game to left knee soreness.
Rose has missed 11 games this season, but Saturday night marked his first lost to knee soreness. That’s the one surgically repaired in May 2012 after he tore the ACL. A torn right meniscus ended his first comeback last season after just 10 games.
“Feeling good, in good spirits,” Rose said. “My knee is fine, so I’m not worried about it. It’s nothing I didn’t have before, just a little sore, so just trying to be cautious about it.” ...
“It’s not out the norm,” Rose said. “Having two knee surgeries, it’s just some type of soreness that came upon from playing in (Friday’s) Washington game, and it held me back a game. If it was something that was lingering or I felt it the entire time along that stretch, that 15-game, 20-game stretch I would have been very worried about it. But I didn’t feel it until after the Washington game.”
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All signs seem to point to this being a very minor concern. But given Rose’s recent history of injury, anything related to his knee that forces him to miss time is going to be worrisome for the fans in Chicago.
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