Derrick Rose Listed as Day-to-Day With Sprained Ankle

No one reasonably expects DRose not to play against the Pacers in Game 5 tomorrow night, but his ankle is technically sprained, and the MRI came back negative. From Bulls.com: “The Bulls said their star point guard and (my not so hard to make prediction) MVP is listed day to day with a sprained ankle for Tuesday’s Game 5 of the first round playoff series with the Indiana Pacers. Rose took an MRI to get the second opinion of a machine and it was negative, meaning, Rose does have a sprained ankle. Which everyone thought. But it is Rose, averaging 28.3 points, six assists and 5.3 rebounds in the series with the Pacers. Though Rose is shooting just 35.2 percent against relentless trapping pressure the last two games and 17.2 percent on threes. Rose has shot 53 free throws, though just four in Game 4. The free throws, officiating and physical play—big surprise for the playoffs—have generated much talk. The Bulls say the calls have gone against them with the referees allowing the Pacers to get away with too much and the Pacers have complained they sneeze on Rose and he gets a call. Though if it is a wet sneeze, he should. Rose played about 32 minutes after he suffered the sprain in Game 3 Saturday, a Pacers 89-84 win, and Rose was limited some, though he did have 10 second half assists and three steals. He failed to finish strong on a steal late in the game, which resulted in a Darren Collison block, or at least that was how it was credited. Rose dismissed the ankle sprain after the game as not a problem or issue. He was wearing a walking boot to practice Sunday, though he didn’t participate and left for his exam.”