Jan. 15--The Bulls already were without Pau Gasol, who is back in Chicago for a planned rest day as he nurses a sore left shoulder and Achilles during the season's lone four-games-in-five-nights stretch.
Then Derrick Rose joined Gasol as idle after testing his sore left knee both at the morning shootaround and pregame.
"My first step, as far as pushing off, it wasn't there," Rose said.
Jimmy Butler, whose sprained right ankle worsened overnight, didn't participate in Thursday's morning shootaround but planned to play versus the 4-36 76ers.
Rose, who said he planned to play Friday against Dallas, didn't have an MRI and reiterated he's not concerned about being sidelined for any length by the knee in which he tore his ACL in April 2012. Rose also again revealed his plan for this season after four straight seasons marred by injuries.
"Coming into the season, I was just trying to play as many games as possible," Rose said. "Next year, that's when I throw in my individual goals and all that. But it's all about getting a solid season under my belt, playing hard in the playoffs whenever we get there, but along the way just being smart and really taking care of my body, and pushing my teammates to be better."
Joakim Noah will start for Gasol. It's Noah's second start in a season in which his role has dropped substantially.
"My mindset doesn't change," Noah said. "We've lost a couple in a row now. Just trying to get back on the winning page."
The Bulls have lost three straight.
"We're trying to correct it," Noah said. "Everybody wants to win here, and everybody's working really hard. That's all you can ask for, and we're gonna switch it around."
