– The Associated Press

DEERFIELD, Ill. – Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls insisted Saturday the NBA hasn’t told him he won the MVP, regardless of what his teammate, C.J. Watson, said on Twitter.

He said “no, not yet” when asked if he had been told he won the award.

Rose’s comment came a day after Watson caused a stir by posting a congratulatory post on Twitter.

The message read: “Congrats to drose on winning the MVP he’s played unbelievable this season!!! now just need tibs to win coach of the yr.”

Rose is a top MVP candidate after averaging 25 points and 7.7 assists while leading Chicago to a league-best 62-20 record. Tom Thibodeau also is a favorite for Coach of the Year.

n Chicago forward Carlos Boozer sat out his second straight practice because of turf toe on his right foot.

LAKERS-MAVERICKS: Los Angeles will have to pick on somebody its own size to make it to another Western Conference finals.

For all of Kobe Bryant’s brilliance, the Lakers’ back-to-back title runs were built on the defensive dominance and offensive mismatches created by their two 7-footers, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. Few teams can match Los Angeles’ sheer size, and even fewer can overcome it in the paint.

But here come Dallas, whose roster is stacked with three talented 7-footers: Tyson Chandler, Brendan Haywood and Dirk Nowitzki.

The Lakers won’t control the game from the inside out in this meeting of two perennial playoff teams that somehow haven’t run into each other in the postseason since 1988.

GRIZZLIES-THUNDER: Memphis already knocked out top-seeded San Antonio and will face Oklahoma City in a series that ensures one of the NBA’s rising young teams will make it to the conference finals.

“We’re both bad teams that have risen up and become good teams,” Memphis Coach Lionel Hollins said. “Our transformations started the same way and they actually were ahead of us. We’re here, and they’re here.”