Chicago Bulls point guard Rajon Rondo took jumpers at practice Tuesday, prompting speculation he could return before the end of a first-round series with the Boston Celtics.

Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg has already ruled Rondo out of Friday night's Game 5 and continues to stress the guard will likely miss the rest of the series, but opened the possibility of a return during a chat with reporters in Chicago.

From ESPN's Nick Friedell:

The Bulls have been reeling since Rondo broke his thumb in Game 2, allowing the Celtics to knot the series at 2-2. Without his starting point guard, Hoiberg has already shuffled through three replacements: Jerian Grant, Michael Carter-Williams and Isaiah Canaan. The latter guard was solid at both ends in Game 4, but his 34 minutes revealed just how desperate the Bulls have grown; Canaan only played 20 regular-season minutes after the All-Star break and did not appear in any of the first three playoff games.

Doctors initially told Rondo he would likely miss two weeks, but he has pointed out he fancies himself a quick healer. It would give the Bulls a big boost if he does suit up again in the first round and could offer anything close to what he provided over the first two games.

Though Rondo participated in parts of practice for conditioning Tuesday, the Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson reported the guard did not use his right hand during the drills. Rondo did, however, use his right hand while shooting, and he has a long history of playing through injuries. It's starting to look like he could return soon, but if he's wincing catching the ball now he might be dealing with serious pain when he does.