Derrick Rose is expected to play in his first game since his Feb. 27 meniscectomy on his right knee on Wednesday against the Orlando Magic.
"It feels the same," Rose said Wednesday of being on the verge of playing again. "I've been putting a lot of work in, busting my ass to get back and I'm just happy that I'm able to come back to a team where I think we're playing all right basketball. I think defensively we're playing good, so offensively I shouldn't have to worry about it, just come back and play the way that I normally play."
Tom Thibodeau said at a shootaround Wednesday that Rose would play about 20 minutes in his first game back.
"Just him being on the floor is a plus for our team," Thibodeau said. "I'm not expecting him to play 35 minutes. I'm not expecting him to score 30 points. Just go out there, run the team, play to your strengths, cover up your weaknesses, make your teammates better. That's all I want him to do."