April 09--ORLANDO, Fla. -- The wait is over. Derrick Rose is back.
Rose started and played 12 minutes, 58 seconds in the first half of the Bulls' game against the Magic at Amway Center Wednesday night, which they led 59-52 at halftime.
Rose posted seven points, one assist, one rebound, one steal and two turnovers and looked in good conditioning throughout.
"I've been putting a lot of work in, busting my ass to get back," Rose said before shoot-around Wednesday morning. "I'm just happy that I'm able to come back to a team where I think we're playing all right basketball. I think defensively we're playing good. Offensively, I shouldn't have to worry about it, just come back and play the way I normally play."
The Bulls are 15-4 when using their regular starting lineup this season.
Coach Tom Thibodeau said Rose, who has missed 20 games since undergoing arthroscopic right knee surgery on Feb. 27, initially will be limited to roughly 20 minutes. Neither Thibodeau nor Rose ruled out the guard from also playing Thursday night as the Bulls finish a back-to-back set of games in Miami.
"I don't have any expectations," Rose said. "Just come out here and play the way that I normally play and see how things go. This will really be like a baseline.
"I'm going to be winded for sure. Just missing so many weeks, so many days, you're going to be winded. That comes along with coming back from surgery and not playing the game in a couple weeks. (But there's) relief that I got enough time to get some games under my belt and see where I am."
The Bulls have five regular-season games remaining. Rose's return comes two days before the end of the four- to six-week timeline presented following the procedure to remove a small tear in his right meniscus. It marked Rose's third knee rehabilitation in 34 months after a left ACL tear in April 2012 and a first and more serious right meniscus tear in November 2013.
"This one is totally different than my last ones. I was only out six weeks," Rose said. "The other ones I was out four or five months. I just have to pace myself this time. I got a lot of confidence in myself. But who knows how many games it's going to take me (to find rhythm). All I can do is just continue to work on my game and push my teammates for this playoff run.
"It gave me a little time to rest. Everybody else is beating each other up. I'm coming in fresh. I will come in better. So it's a little bit of excitement on my end."
Thibodeau downplayed expectations for Rose. The Bulls went 10-10 in his absence.
"Him just being there is a plus for our team," Thibodeau said. "I'm not expecting him to play 35 minutes, score 30 points. Play to your strengths, cover up your weaknesses, make your teammates better. That's all I want him to do."
The Bulls own a one-game lead over the Raptors for the East's third seed, though the Raptors hold the tiebreaker. Kirk Hinrich, who has missed two games with a hyperextended left knee, also returned as part of a strong bench effort that produced 30 first-half points.
"I think we've been playing all right," Rose said. "Of course we lost some games we were supposed to win. But as far as defense, you look from the beginning of the season until now, I think we're helping a lot more. Offensively, I'm not worried about that. But defensively, I feel like we're really helping each other and giving that effort that we need. That's the only thing I'm worried about with us."
