Joking that he may have shut things down if he was still in Sacramento, Bulls' guard John Salmons is hoping to fight through a groin injury and play against New Jersey on Saturday afternoon as the Bulls fight to hold on to a playoff spot, the Chicago Tribune is reporting.

The Bulls are struggling for healthy bodies, with Salmons, Kirk Hinrich, Tyrus Thomas and Luol Deng all missing practice through injury and rookie Derrick Rose and veteran Tim Thomas also feeling the pain.

"Only real way to heal groins is rest," Salmons said. "We don't have the luxury of that. Hopefully, with these three days, it can get a little better. Good teams overcome injuries."

"A lot of teams have injuries," coach Vinny Del Negro said. "Guys have to step up and play hard. We have to take advantage of playing at home."