TORONTO — Derrick Rose said Thursday he was just being himself when he revealed he keeps the long-term and his post-playing career in mind as he listens to his body while deciding whether to play with injuries.

“As long as I’m being myself, that’s the only person I can be,” Rose said Thursday morning before the Chicago Bulls’ morning shootaround. “As far as saying anything, probably blame me for thinking about the future. I’ll probably think different but that’s all I was doing.”

Asked if he understood why some people would get upset at such comments, Rose said no — twice.

“No, no, but I could care less,” he said.

Rose has missed all but 10 games over two NBA seasons to a torn left ACL and torn right meniscus. Asked if these injuries changed his outlook, Rose said yes.

“It’s just letting me know what’s real,” he said. “As long as I’m being myself and inspiring people the way that I am and touching people the way that I am, that’s all I can do. Caring about myself and just being positive.”

Rose’s coaches and teammates strongly defended Rose’s commitment to winning and the team in the wake of his comments, which were made in Chicago on Tuesday. That his commitment would be called into question did bother Rose.

“Yeah, to a certain degree,” he said. “Of course it’s going to happen. But at the same time, I can’t do anything about it. I just gotta let God handle that and just put every performance and every article behind me every day.”

In a taped interview with TNT’s Rachel Nichols, Rose expanded on how the knee injuries brought his athletic mortality into focus.

“Every time I step on the court, I give it my all,” he said. “But I’m just learning my body, learning from my mistakes, and people got mad about that.”

In Thursday’s games:

Bulls 100, Raptors 93: TORONTO — Pau Gasol had a season-high 27 points and 11 rebounds, and Derrick Rose scored 20 points before leaving with a sore left hamstring for Chicago.

Mavericks 123, 76ers 70: DALLAS — Dirk Nowitzki scored 21 points while playing only 20 minutes and Dallas had its largest victory ever while keeping Philadelphia winless.

Grizzlies 111, Kings 110: MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Courtney Lee scored on a lob pass as time expired to cap a furious fourth-quarter rally, and Memphis came from 26 points down to beat Sacramento.

Warriors 107, Nets 99: OAKLAND, Calif. — Klay Thompson scored 25 points, and Draymond Green had 17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for Golden State.