Bulls Nearing Full Health
(CBS) After a two-week road trip that included some drama and early hurdles, the Bulls have returned home with an 11-6 record and will host the Mavericks tonight at the United Center.
And they'll do so nearing full health.
Everyone will be available to play except sixth man Taj Gibson, who's still battling a sprained ankle that he suffered on Nov. 21 in Portland. Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau called Gibson's status "day-by-day." It's not known yet if he'll play Wednesday at Charlotte, but it wouldn't be a surprise if the Bulls held him out again and gave him a few more days off before Saturday's home contest against the Warriors.
"When he's ready to go, he should go," Thibodeau said.
Thibodeau also confirmed the plan is to play Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah on both ends of a back-to-back. Rose has been hampered most recently by a hamstring injury but has played in four games in a row. Noah has been dealing with knee troubles since offseason surgery.
"We just want him to keep building," Thibodeau said of Rose.
The Mavericks are 13-5 and present one of the Bulls' toughest challenges of the season. Dallas is averaging a league-leading 109.1 points per game.
"They got a lot of weapons," Thibodeau said. "We know we're going to have to play well on both sides of the ball. They have great depth. They push the ball. They can shoot ... A lot of guys who can break you off the dribble."
