Joakim Noah is playing the best basketball of his career the past few weeks and the Bulls are the third best team in the Eastern Conference. With Derrick Rose down and Luol Deng traded Noah has become the fulcrum of the Bulls offense, and it’s working as Noah has had a triple double in two of the Bulls’ last three games.
That may be harder to pull off with a sprained thumb.
Which is what he is playing through and will play through Friday night against Memphis, as ESPNChicago.com reports.
Noah injured the thumb on Wednesday against the Pistons and was seen in a splint on Thursday.
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The Bulls need to be cautious here with Noah — he is their best player and they need his hand healthy for the playoffs. Remember, this is the same thumb Noah needed surgery on after an injury three years ago. Sprains can linger if they don’t get a little rest.
The Bulls need to think ahead here a loss to the Grizzlies on Friday night is a small price to pay if it helps get your best player healthy again. But Noah is not the kind of guy who takes nights off and he is expected to play, according to multiple reports.
