NBA Cause and Effect: Chicago Bulls' Derrick Rose Suffers Apparent Ankle Injury

Just when you thought everything was back to normal in Chicago, a faulty ankle causes the Bulls' entire body of work to shake and quiver.

According to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, Derrick Rose tweaked his ankle at some point during the Bulls' 100-99 overtime loss against the New York Knicks on Sunday. While the extent of the injury is unknown, Rose was reportedly in a walking boot on Monday, and he's considered to be a game-time decision for Tuesday's rematch with the Knicks in Chicago.

Should Rose miss the Bulls' game against New York, Chicago's two-game lead over the Miami Heat for first in the Eastern Conference will become all the more uncomfortable. Despite going 14-7 in Rose's absence, Chicago has been impatiently awaiting Rose's return since he went down with a groin injury in mid-March.

While you would be hard-pressed to find an analyst who questions Tom Thibodeau's decision-making, it wouldn't be far-fetched to believe that Rose's extended playing time in his first game back played a role in this injury. Rose docked a surprising 39 minutes of play, including in the overtime period, which saw him miss a game-winning shot attempt.

In the short term, it's worth wondering whether or not the ankle had an effect on Rose's play.

While 29 points is a nice statistic to finish with, those who watched the game know that it was far from smooth sailing. Aside from his ugly 8-of-26 shooting, Rose missed two key free throws in the fourth quarter that would have put the game out of reach. Carmelo Anthony followed the misses with an electrifying three-pointer that sent the game to overtime.

While Rose could end up playing tonight and putting the concern to rest, he could also end up missing an extended period of time. Injuries can go both ways, which begs the question: What would the Bulls do without their star point guard again? 

With a potential playoff matchup against the stumbling Philadelphia 76ers, Bulls fans may not be too concerned. The possibility of facing a red-hot Milwaukee Bucks team or even these New York Knicks in a seven-game series, however, could be a bit concerning.

Nevertheless, the Bulls should be alright going forward. Chicago is 14-7 without Rose and has a plus-2.9 scoring differential that ranks them sixth in the NBA.

Should the Bulls go into the playoffs without their leader, expect All-Star Luol Deng to be just another face in the crowd as the Bulls come together as a unit and pull out the must-win games.

But while Chicago can hold up without the reigning MVP, there's no doubt that the team needs Derrick Rose for a deep playoff run.