Rose says he’ll be playing LeBron in the first round

Derrick Rose’s Bulls defied expectations last year to make their first-round series against the favored Celtics an absolute classic of a seven-game series. According to ESPN Chicago’s Nick Fridell, Rose is eager to get the Bulls back in the playoffs and give them another chance to pull off a first-round upset. After a Tuesday morning shootaround, Rose told ESPN Chicago the following:

“In my mind, we’ll be making the eighth spot. We’ll be playing LeBron [James] -- playing Cleveland. The closer we get, the [more] I’m going to think that. We can’t walk around acting like we’re not going to make it, because that’s when things turn on you. Our biggest goal is to make the playoffs, and we’re going to make it.”

The Bulls are currently a game behind the Raptors for the final spot in the East, and have a home game against the Suns tonight. After some of the lows the Bulls have hit this season, it’s remarkable they’re in contention for a playoff spot at all, but that’s the Eastern Conference for you. If the Bulls can manage to overtake the Raptors and snag a playoff spot, it could salvage what has been a hugely disappointing season for the franchise.

One last note: if the Bulls miss the playoffs because of this game, that would be a lot for Bulls fans to deal with. http://espn.go.com/nba/recap/_/id/291221004/sacramento-kings-vs-chicago-bulls