Derrick Rose has said that he "felt good" playing in his first playoff game in almost three years for the Chicago Bulls.
The point guard has missed the last two post-seasons while recovering from knee surgeries, but scored 23 points in the 103-91 win over the Milwaukee Bucks last night.
The former league MVP, who has recently returned from another knee injury, told ESPN: "It felt good. It felt normal. I'm grateful to be playing again, playing with my teammates that I have right now. They're allowing me to play the way that I normally play, and it's an honor, man.
"I'm really fortunate because I think anywhere else it wouldn't be the same, and they're giving me motivation. They're pushing me, and it feels good.
"I'm not young anymore, so really take care of my body. Drink a lot of water, make sure I eat right and really, really make sure I stay off my feet. It's almost going to be like a back-to-back for me because it's like my fifth game back, just trying to get the most out of every one of my days."
The two teams meet in the second game of their best-of-seven series on Monday.
Sian Cowper
