April 10--MIAMI -- So much for that one-game run at full strength.
Minutes after confirming Derrick Rose would again play roughly 20 minutes in the second of a back-to-back game against the Heat Thursday night, coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters via a team public relations official that Jimmy Butler sat with a sore left calf.
Butler, who told team officials he woke up sore Thursday morning, declined to elaborate on the status of his injury to reporters.
Thibodeau said Rose would again sit out the fourth quarter, as he did in Wednesday's loss to the Magic. The Bulls started Rose, Tony Snell, Mike Dunleavy, Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah. That lineup has started one game previously together, the impressive victory over the Cavaliers in the last game before the All-Star break.
Thibodeau made it sound as if Rose's playing time would stay roughly at this level for the immediate future.
"It's just a few games here, so we want to make sure he can handle that and then we'll see where it goes," Thibodeau said.
