CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bulls remained short-handed Friday against the Orlando Magic, with five key players again missing from the rotation.
Derrick Rose (torn ACL), Richard Hamilton (back), Taj Gibson (sprained left knee), Joakim Noah (plantar fasciitis in his right foot), and Marco Belinelli (abdominal strain) still are sidelined. All five missed Thursday’s game at Brooklyn.
Rose has not played this season, although he has been practicing, and whether he will this year remains up in the air. There was nothing new on that front, with coach Tom Thibodeau saying, “The same. Just steady progress.”
He also says Hamilton “has a ways to go,” but Noah and Belinelli are “very close.”
The Magic were without Jameer Nelson (sprained right ankle) and Hedo Turkoglu (personal reasons), who each missed their fourth straight game.
