If the Bulls make a move for a big man this summer, they reportedly rate Chris Bosh over Amare Stoudemire.

Rumor around the league is that Chicago prefers Bosh's personality, and believes that he is a better teammate than Stoudemire.

At this point in the season, it appears more likely that the Raptors will shop Bosh, but changes could be coming for the Suns as well.

Chicago coach Vinny Del Negro isn't happy with the way his team has played defense as of late.

"We definitely do" need to shore up the defense, Del Negro said on Monday. "We switched coverages. We did different things. We made some adjustments. We have to get back to controlling the game from a points standpoint."

If the Timberwolves would prefer to swing a deal for a veteran player this summer, rather than try to lure a free agent to Minnesota, they could try to get Kirk Hinrich.

Hinrich, who has three years and $26 million left on his current contract, was the centerpiece of trade rumors involving the Bulls and Timberwolves prior to February's trade deadline.

Bulls rookie point guard Derrick Rose blamed himself for the team's overtime loss to the Raptors on Sunday afternoon.

"Because of me, we lost this game," Rose said after the loss snapped a four-game winning streak.

He lost control of the ball with Chicago down 129-127 and just 8.9 seconds left in overtime.

"I thought I had an opening to pass the ball to Tyrus [Thomas]," Rose said, "but one of [the Raptors] stuck their leg out and hit the ball, and I lost it."

After seeing Bulls' guard John Salmons put on another strong show against his Pacers on Saturday, coach Jim O'Brien had nothing but praise for the ex-King.

?The best trade of the year,? Pacers coach Jim O'Brien said, referring to the deal which saw Andres Nocioni and Drew Gooden go to Sacramento for Salmons and Brad Miller.

According to the Associated Press, Salmons hit four of seven 3-pointers - including two late with the game in the balance - and reached the 20-point mark for the 11th time since the trade.

The Raptors are unsure of whether or not they'll shop Chris Bosh this summer, but sources indicate that the Warriors are interested in the All-Star forward.

Golden State reportedly inquired about Bosh prior to the Feb. 19 trade deadline, but Toronto wasn't interested in making a major move.

If the Raptors do decide to scrap their current roster and move Bosh, the Bulls are expected to make a play as well.

The Bulls appear destined for the playoffs after recording their third straight win. They now hold a three-game lead over their competition for the East's final playoff spot, and are deadlocked with the Pistons for the seventh seed.

- L.A. Lakers 92, Detroit 77

Team FIC Differential: Lakers +21.7, Pistons -21.7

The Lakers (57-14) used a 31-13 edge in the third quarter to knock off the Pistons (34-37) at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Kobe Bryant starred with 30 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists, Pau Gasol posted 12 points and 11 boards, and Lamar Odom added 12 points, 10 rebounds and 7 dimes in the win. Los Angeles held Detroit to 39% shooting, including 3-for-13 from three-point land. Will Bynum led with 25 points and 11 assists, Antonio McDyess tallied 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Tayshaun Prince contributed just 7 points on 3-for-13 shooting in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles ? 25.8

Will Bynum, Detroit ? 21.3

Lamar Odom, Los Angeles ? 19.0

Antonio McDyess, Detroit ? 11.3

- Chicago 106, Miami 87

Team FIC Differential: Bulls +23.4, Heat -23.4

The Bulls (35-38), just like the Lakers did against the Pistons, used a very strong third quarter run to defeat the Heat (38-34) on Thursday night. John Salmons led with 27 points and 5 assists, Tyrus Thomas tallied 15 points and 12 rebounds, and Brad Miller turned in 12 points, 7 boards and 4 dimes off the bench. Chicago hit 52% of their shots and outrebounded Miami by eight at the United Center. Dwyane Wade led with 31 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists, Udonis Haslem posted 13 points and 6 boards, and Mario Chalmers poured in 10 points and 5 dimes in defeat.

Game FIC Scores

Dwyane Wade, Miami ? 20.5

Tyrus Thomas, Chicago ? 16.9

John Salmons, Chicago ? 15.2

Mario Chalmers, Miami ? 13.6

- Portland 129, Phoenix 109

Team FIC Differential: Blazers +44.3, Suns -44.3

Keeping with the theme of the night, the Blazers (45-27) outscored the Suns (40-32) by 13 points in the third quarter en route to a victory. LaMarcus Aldridge led with 29 points and 12 rebounds, Rudy Fernandez scored 23 points on 8-for-10 shooting, and Brandon Roy stuffed the stat sheet with 26 points, 9 boards and 6 assists. Portland shot 60% from the field and attempted 11 more foul shots than Phoenix. Shaquille O?Neal had 20 points and 7 rebounds, Steve Nash tallied 15 points and 5 assists, and Stromile Swift put up 12 points and 6 boards for the Suns.

Game FIC Scores

LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland ? 26.8

Brandon Roy, Portland ? 23.8

Shaquille O?Neal, Phoenix ? 16.3

Stromile Swift, Phoenix ? 10.3

? RealGM calculates the Floor Impact Counter using the following formula: (Points + .75 Defensive Rebounds + Offensive Rebounds + Steals + Assists + Blocks - .75 Field Goal Attempts - .375 Free Throw Attempts - Turnovers - .5 Personal Fouls)

( )'s indicate a negative FIC score.

It is also used to rank players and to determine their ?Reina Value.?
Click here to view the player rankings with the Reina Value for the current season

Derrick Rose said following the Bulls' morning shootaround that he will play on Thursday against the Miami Heat at the United Center.

"I'm feeling better and I'm definitely playing," Rose said.

John Paxson was asked on Wednesday if John Salmons' arrival means the Bulls won't re-sign Ben Gordon this summer.

?Some of this will be financial, that's the nature of the business right now," said Paxson.  "We'd love to keep Ben Gordon. We tried the last two years and we made offers that were substantial. But for whatever reason, it didn't work out and I don't assign blame to anybody. I still think we'll have a chance in the off-season to look at the big picture and try to get him back.?

Now that Kirk Hinrich is starting in place of the injured Derrick Rose, he finally admitted that not being part of the first five has been a challenge.

"It's been challenging at times trying to stay with it," he acknowledged. "I've been playing well but in somewhat limited minutes.

"It's a different mind-set coming off the bench. You try to bring energy and give your team a lift. As a starter, you know you're going to play more minutes, and it's more getting off to a good start in both halves and finishing games strong. But if you play long enough in this league, you probably have to be able to do both."