For the second straight day, Rajon Rondo created a stir in the pre-practice portion open to reporters.
On Monday, Rondo ditched the cast he had been wearing to protect an inflamed tendon in his right wrist, though he still wore a splint to protect his fractured right thumb.
On Tuesday, Rondo took several set shots and some dribbles with his right hand before switching to left-handed shooting and dribbling.
On both days, Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg has said Rondo is out for Wednesday's Game 5. Rondo, who suffered the injury on April 18 during Game 2, has said doctors told him he would be out for "a couple of weeks."
But Rondo has a history of having a high pain tolerance and trying to play through significant injury. He finished the game in which he fractured the thumb and actually practiced on Tuesday, although for conditioning purposes and without using the injured hand.
"This is honestly the first time he has touched a basketball with that right hand. We'll see how it goes," Hoiberg said. "He's going to continue to condition and do everything he can. He was in the weight room (Monday) getting a good session in there for the first time. So he's really just getting this whole process started.
"Just watching him wince a little bit when the ball was coming to him makes me think it's a long shot. But if there's anybody who can do it and will try to fight through it, it's Rondo because of the competitor he is. He obviously wants to get back out there and is doing everything he can to put himself in that position, knowing that it's still a long shot that that happens."
Jimmy Butler made it clear how much the Bulls miss Rondo, who played a critical role in the Games 1 and 2 victories.
"We love him, man. He's our floor general out there," Butler said. "He knows everything, knows every matchup, every position. And he's still helping over there from the bench. But we really want him healthy."
