April 12--Jimmy Butler will return from missing one game with a sore left calf Saturday night vs. the 76ers and Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau confirmed Derrick Rose's minutes will increase.
Thibodeau said Rose will add a fourth segment to his playing time, which likely will land him in the 24-28 minute range. In his first two games back from missing 20 following arthroscopic right knee surgery, Rose was limited to 20 minutes, in part because of the back-to-back situation.
The Bulls took Friday off.
"He handled the first two (games), which was good," Thibodeau said. "So we're going to go from there. It's been step-by-step. We knew the first two games, we wanted him to get his feet wet again. And then we'll continue to add as we go along."
The Tribune reported in Saturday's editions that the minutes limits for Rose and Joakim Noah will be lifted for the playoffs.
"We're at the point now, the minutes thing, I don't want to get wrapped up into it," Thibodeau said. "I want it to be about performance. If he's playing well and he's showing that the minutes are good, then he'll play more. But I don't want him out there fatigued or anything like that. But you got to play well. That's the important thing right now. I think he'll be fine. I think Jo will be fine. I think we're good with the minutes stuff."
The 76ers dressed just nine players and no point guards. Their starting lineup consisted of JaKarr Sampson, Jason Richardson, Furkan Aldemir, Thomas Robinson and Robert Covington.
