This Sunday's showdown between the young dynamic powers of the Eastern and Western Conferences will apparently not feature one of the NBA's brightest stars, significantly altering both the importance and star power of the contest between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Chicago Bulls. Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune is reporting that Derrick Rose is out for the game, meaning it hardly serves as a proper lead-up to any potential Finals series.
Specifically McClure records Rose's response on Twitter. When asked about whether he was tempted to try and play against Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and company, Rose replied, "I'm not tempted at all. I'm worried about my health right now." Rose injured his groin recently and this will be his tenth game that he's missed in total.
The Bulls are still dominating the competition, however, with seven wins in their last nine games. It's clear that Rose is a superstar, but it's also clear that the Bulls are a great team without him. The Thunder will still have a difficult game on their hands, even if it's not the match-up everyone was hoping for.