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LeBron eyes measuring-stick matchup with Rose, Bulls - Chicago Tribune

By Fred Mitchell, Tribune reporter

1:54 p.m. CDT, April 12, 2012

Miami's LeBron James said he was looking forward to the challenge of playing against Derrick Rose, who was listed as a game-time decision when the Chicago Bulls host the Miami Heat on Thursday night.

“For me as a competitor, I love going against the best. Knowing that D-Rose is one of the best, it’s always fun to have him on the floor,” James said Thursday after the Heat’s shoot-around practice at the United Center.

James conceded that the outcome of this game might not mean that much in terms of what lies ahead.

“The main focus for us is to get better with every game, with every step right now heading into the playoffs. We will use tonight as a good measuring ... the two best teams record-wise in the Eastern Conference. So we know how hostile this building is going to be, but at the same time, we just want to continue to improve. Whatever the standings may say at the end of the season, we will figure it out.”

The Heat lost to the Bulls 106-102 on March 14, and Rose was out of the lineup.

“You try to win them all and sometimes you don’t win them all. You win games, you lose games,” James said.  “It has nothing to do with D-Rose being out. It’s a really good team and when he is in ... it’s a great team when he is in the lineup. For us, we try to worry about what we can control.”

fmitchell@tribune.com

Twitter@kicker34

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