"Derrick Rose now laughs at pain.

"It's just my toe," Rose said. "I'll probably lose a step. But this is just preparing me for when I get old."

Wearing a new insole designed to help stabilize his sprained left big toe, Rose returned Friday night to score 25 points in 39 minutes in the Bulls' 88-79 victory over the Celtics after missing one game with the injury. He has missed only seven in three-plus seasons.

"It definitely hurts, but I just have to fight through it," Rose said beforehand. "I always say the great players find a way, and I want to be great. It's not stopping me."

Speaking publicly for the first time since missing Wednesday's home game against the Wizards, Rose reflected on his vow Tuesday in Minnesota that he definitely would play the next night. Rose suffered the injury during the first quarter Tuesday and finished that game.

"I was very surprised when I woke up (Wednesday) morning and couldn't walk," Rose said. "That scared me. I went to get X-rays, and they were negative, no fracture. I just jammed it, hyperextended it."

Rose wore a walking boot after the Friday morning shootaround that coach Tom Thibodeau called "precautionary.""