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Derrick Rose downplays ankle sprain after X-rays come back negative

Dennis Wierzbicki / USA Today Sports

Derrick Rose has a message for Chicago Bulls fans: "Don't worry."

Rose left the team's Friday night overtime showdown with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the fourth quarter and did not return. He had landed awkwardly on his left foot in the second quarter, played through the injury for nearly half the game, and then took off for the locker room. You can see video of the injury in the post below.

After the game, Rose downplayed the injury, saying it was just a sprained ankle and that X-rays had come back negative. His status for Saturday's game against Minnesota is unclear, but it doesn't sound as if Rose expects to miss much time, if any.

Prior to the injury, Rose had looked solid against the Cavs, dropping 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting and adding four dimes for good measure. He even flashed a pull-up three in transition, which probably isn't a fair tool for someone this talented to get to add to his arsenal. He had looked sharp in the team's Wednesday opener, too, scoring 13 points with five assists in just 21 minutes.

Should Rose miss any time, Kirk Hinrich stands to start at the point. If Jimmy Butler remains out, Tony Snell could draw in at the two, or the team could opt to start Aaron Brooks alongside Hinrich.

Obviously, there's long-term concern about Rose's general health after missing most of the past three seasons with a pair of knee injuries, but this seems like nothing to worry about.

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