Derrick Rose will get his wish.

Not only can Rose play in fourth quarters, he also will play more than 20 minutes, likely as early as Saturday. And that 32-minute limit Joakim Noah has been on all season? That will be lifted for the postseason.

That always has been the organizational plan since the restrictions were put in place in an attempt to keep Rose and Noah, both coming off offseason knee surgery, fresher for the playoffs. Rose's latest small meniscus tear that sidelined him for 20 games after arthroscopic surgery only added another level of conservatism for the short-term.

That Rose returned for a back-to-back set of games further underscored the less-is-more approach. The games marked the Bulls' last back-to-back of the regular season, and such scheduling doesn't exist during the playoffs.

After successfully navigating the roughly 20-minute outings in Orlando and Miami that featured him sitting out both fourth quarters, an upbeat Rose respectfully asked for more.

"I want to," Rose said of playing in the fourth quarters. "It seems like they're fun games. But it's out of my hands."

Rose admitted he didn't know how his playing-time plan is hatched, saying he merely receives it from Jen Swanson, the team's director of sports performance. But Swanson isn't unilaterally determining the plan, which comes from management with a collaborative effort with the medical and training staffs.

Rose said he doesn't question the plan because of his trust in Swanson, who oversaw his left ACL rehabilitation in Los Angeles before the Bulls hired her in August 2013. It's up to coach Tom Thibodeau to distribute the minutes.

"I want to increase my playing time; of course I could go longer," Rose said. "But I don't question her. I've been working with her for three or four years now."

Rose said his physical state is so encouraging that he didn't even use a stationary bicycle placed in the players' tunnel to warm up before his post-first-quarter segments.

"I didn't know what to expect coming into (Thursday's) game," Rose said. "I know before the game I wasn't sore. I was feeling great. And I still feel the same way. So my preparation for the game, I think, is getting a lot better. And I just have to continue to do it.

"Every game, I'm just trying to get better and push myself. My last couple of minutes of the game, I had a couple of turnovers but it comes from just going hard and pushing myself as far as conditioning. I think I'm getting better and I attacked the basket a little more."

After a strong stretch from late-February through mid-March, Noah hasn't affected games as much lately. While his passing numbers remain rare for centers, he has just one double-digit rebounding game in his last seven and hasn't scored in double figures since March 15.

Obviously, scoring isn't Noah's main forte. But teams are sagging off him considerably now. And following Sunday's loss in Cleveland, Noah admitted he's still struggling with his different defensive role in which he mostly guards stretch fours and isn't roaming the middle as much.

Perhaps the postseason plan allowing him to play more if needed will help. Noah's game always has been based on activity and intensity, and he hasn't been closing games lately.

"I really hope so," Noah said when asked if Thursday's second half could serve as a springboard for the team. "I think everybody is into their situation a little bit sometimes. But like Coach says, we have to put it all on the team."

Future scenarios: In a video post on Bleacher Report, longtime NBA writer Ric Bucher reported people connected to Thibodeau are exploring potential future options, including the Magic, if he and the Bulls part ways. The Tribune previously reported no definitive decision has been made from either side regarding Thibodeau's future. He has two years remaining on his Bulls' deal.

kcjohnson@tribpub.com

Twitter @kcjhoop