Bulls' Derrick Rose ready for Game 2 despite sustaining stinger

CLEVELAND -- Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose says he is ready for Game 2 after sustaining a stinger at the end of the Bulls' Game 1 win over the Cavaliers.

"I'm not sore or anything, so that's a good sign," Rose said Tuesday during the Bulls' media availability. "The stinger, that's the most pain I had this morning. I don't feel anything so I'm happy with that."

The larger issue for Rose and the Bulls is in regard to how Rose's surgically repaired knees will hold up on just one day's rest throughout a large portion of this series.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, Rose has performed much better on two or more days of rest during this postseason than he has on one. On two or more days of rest, Rose is averaging 24.3 points a game, shooting 48.1 percent from the field and 48.3 percent from beyond the arc. On one day of rest, Rose is averaging 14.0 points a game, shooting 29.8 percent from the field and 23.5 percent from beyond the arc.

Outwardly, the Bulls don't seem too concerned about the trend.

"My routine don't change for anything," Rose said, when asked about the differences between one and two days of rest. "If anything, I probably do more recovery things like ice and stim work, NormaTec, things like that. Do that a little bit more, hydrate a little bit more, but I think I'm in a good routine right now."

Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau didn't sound too concerned about the noticeable differences, either.

"He's still working his way back," Thibodeau said. "But I think if you would look at most players you would find that to be true also. You want to compare apples to apples, and I think Derrick playing in those games at the end of the regular season really helped him. I think the Milwaukee series helped him and I think he's in a good place right now. So all we want him to do is concentrate on his improvement, run the team well. [Monday] night I thought he did a great job of trusting the pass and making plays."

Rose, who scored 25 points in Monday's Game 1 win, played in just 51 regular-season games this year because of recurring ankle and knee injuries. He missed over a month because of a right knee meniscectomy performed on Feb. 27, but has shown flashes of being a dominant star player again off and on throughout the season.

Game 2 is Wednesday night in Cleveland.