LOS ANGELES -- Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose was not in the lineup on Monday night because of a strained left hamstring.

Derrick Rose will sit out his second straight game with a hamstring injury. AP Photo/Andrew A. Nelles

"[It's] getting better every day, still taking my time," Rose said after Monday's shootaround. "[The hamstring] is just calming down. It's not as sore, just really trying to listen to my body again and get the most out of every day."

Monday's road game against the Clippers is the second straight game Rose has missed because of the hamstring injury he initially suffered at the end of Thursday night's win over the Toronto Raptors. It is the sixth game Rose has missed overall this season. He missed four games earlier this season because of sprained ankles.

Rose said he will continue to be extra cautious because of how important his hamstrings are as he continues to make his way back from two serious knee injuries.

"For sure," Rose said. "Especially when you have knee problems, or knee injuries. The hamstrings are huge in the process of coming back. You need them, they control everything, as far as decelerating, so I guess you need them a lot, especially with the way that I play."

"We'll just see where he is [Tuesday]," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "[He's] a lot better today. Was able to go through most of the practice. So we'll see where he is [Tuesday]."

Bulls big man Pau Gasol also missed Monday night's game because of a left calf strain. Gasol participated in Monday morning's shootaround but said his calf became aggravated afterwards.

""(The injury),happened during the last game," Gasol told reporters before the game. "I was hoping maybe I got kicked or something, I just didn't realize. But I felt my calf was getting sorer and sorer. I was able to finish the game off. Today I tried (at) shootaround to see if it would allow me to continue to go. But It was a little aggravated after shootaround, so right now I just don't want to reaggravate it by playing tonight and hopefully with this next couple of days of not having games I'll be able to be back soon."

Gasol said he hopes to be ready for the Bulls' next game Thursday at Sacramento.