If the Indiana Pacers players have their way, we’ve seen the last of “interim” head coach Frank Vogel.

“We want that ‘interim’ taken off his title,” said forward Danny Granger, the team’s leading scorer.

“Management usually asks for the players’ input on important decisions like this,” Granger said. “I expect [team president Larry Bird] to do so again. If he gives us who we want, he’ll make Vogel the full-time head coach — not interim. Vogel really improved our play overall. Of course, that’s a decision that management makes. And they don’t always make it the way the players want.”

Danny Granger had a good playoff series, but Pacers general manager Larry Bird felt he took some small steps backward this year and wants to see him step up his game.

"He's a top-30 player," Bird said. "I've always thought he could be an All-Star and he's close, but he's not there yet. I didn't think he was as committed consistently as he's been in the past. It would be really nice if he could be our second scorer.''

Bird also commented on rookie guard Lance Stephenson.

"When he's playing, he's fine and has as much talent as anybody on this team," Bird said. "He's a long shot, but he's my ace in the hole. If we can get him to grow up, he knows how to play . . .

"I know he's a pain in the ass and the guys in the locker room get frustrated with him, but I'm not giving up on him. Unless he does something crazy."

Danny Granger had to be restrained from going after Bulls center Joakim Noah as the teams exchanged handshakes on the court at the end of the Bulls' series-ending 116-89 win.

Granger accused Noah of playing dirty throughout the game, taking cheap shots at Pacers, including forward Josh McRoberts, who was ejected in the third quarter.

Granger was in the hallway outside the locker room using expletives to describe Noah's play.

"Everybody saw what Josh did and he got ejected," Granger said. "Nobody caught what happened first. It's always the second man. (Noah) was playing dirty the whole game. My teammates got caught with it and nothing happened."

Pacers coach Frank Vogel made a bold, but calculated prediction at Tuesday’s shootaround.

“We feel like if we win this game tonight, we’ll win the series,” he said.

Indiana trails the series 3-1, with Game 5 at the United Center tonight at 7 p.m.

Pacers leading scorer Danny Granger concurred.

“I honestly believe that,” Granger said. “If we win tonight on their home court, we’ve got to go back to Indiana, where we have the better odds of winning. Honestly, a Game 7 is going be a tossup. Whoever plays better that night is going to win the series.”

 

John Paxson has grown tired of criticism directed toward Carlos Boozer, the player he signed to a five-year, $75 million contract.

Boozer's play has been inconsistent in the first round of the playoffs against the Pacers and he'd be the first to admit it. At 12.0 points per game, Boozer is averaging 51/2 points less than he did during the regular season. He's shooting 37.5 percent from the field after shooting 51 percent during the regular season and 50.3 percent in his playoff career before this season. Plus there have been occasional lapses on defense.

"Just because his numbers aren't what they were in previous playoffs … he's still very important to what we're doing," Paxson said after the Bulls' practice Monday. "The reality is we're still up 3-1.

"We have a lot of guys who could be playing better in this series. But to throw that type of criticism on (Boozer) isn't right. This is a team game."

Derrick Rose sat out practice Monday to rest his sprained left ankle, but he has no intention of missing Game 5 Tuesday, when the Bulls, who lead the Indiana Pacers 3-1, try to finish off this first-round playoff series.

"It's not broke, so I'm definitely going to be playing,'' Rose said, adding that he'll receive a pain-killer shot before the game. "I'm getting one for sure."

Rose said he has taken shots twice before in his three-year Bulls career: "My rookie year, my wrist was messed up and I got a shot. And last year, I had to get a shot in my back."

Did it affect his performance? "No."

Rose said he is encouraged in the progress he's seen in the ankle, which he sprained late in the first quarter of Game 4 on Saturday.

Indiana Pacers guards Paul George and Dahntay Jones’ defense helped keep Derrick Rose off the scoreboard in Games 3 and 4 of the Pacers’ first round series with the Bulls.

"We just want to give him different looks, not let him get comfortable," Jones said. "It's kind of like what the Lakers are doing to (New Orleans guard) Chris Paul. Trying to make him work for everything. Some nights it works, some nights it doesn't. We're going to try to keep with our momentum and stay with our game plan."

Pacers interim coach Frank Vogel waited until Game 3 to implement the defensive strategy of going with Jones and George on the league's likely Most Valuable Player.

The move has paid off: Rose is just 10-of-40 from the field in the past two games.

"Paul is all over the place with his hands," Vogel said. "He's great with spacing and understanding angles and challenging shots. Dahntay is just under the kid's chin the whole game. Backcourt, frontcourt, everywhere."

Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose arrived at Sunday's film session wearing a walking boot.

Rose did not participate in the shootaround after the team watched film. He is expected to get an MRI on Sunday afternoon and will be re-evaluated by team doctors at that time. The MRI was precautionary, according to Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau.

Rose turned his ankle driving to the basket late in the first quarter. He didn't appear to make contact with any other player.

"I really can't explain it," Rose said Saturday. "I just took off wrong and my weight just pushed over my ankle and it ended up twisting."

The Indiana Pacers have been determined to set an aggressive tone in their first round series against the Chicago Bulls.

"I think it's taking us out of what we want to do, for sure," Bulls guard Kyle Korver said of the Pacers' physicality. "We're not getting good looks. We have to do a better job of giving Derrick [Rose] an outlet; him making the pass, and then making the read from there. When they got two guys on the ball, it should be easy offense. We should have guys wide open. And when we're in those situations, we got to make the right play. And we're just not doing it right now."

They're not doing it because the Pacers have locked up Derrick Rose for the past two games.

"They're playing good defense," Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau said. "You have to give them credit. We have to read. You have to hit the first open man. When you do that, the ball moves. We're trying to thread the needle and you can't thread the needle. You have to hit the first open man."

Roy Hibbert talked about his 3-of-12 performance against the Bulls in Game 3.

“I’m not getting (the ball) where I want it,” he said. “I don’t want to shoot jump shots. I want to get it in the paint, get it on the block. We’re running other stuff.”

Hibbert attempted nine shots from within 10 feet of the basket.

Hibbert was asked about some of the shots he missed closed to the basket.

“I need to get in a rhythm,” Hibbert said. “It’s on me.”