Big gets hurt: Center Noah out with plantar fasciitis
Joakim Noah (plantar fasciitis, right foot) missed the game Saturday against the Pacers and was expected to miss the road game Sunday against the Timberwolves.
“[Noah has] had an All-Star season,’’ coach Tom Thibodeau said. “He’s done a great job for us, but we have more than enough. Next guy up, get out there and get the job done.’’
That next guy up was Nazr Mohammed, who started at center.
But no one can replace what Noah does, and it’s not just the 12.1 points, 11.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists.
“Noah is not a guy that you necessarily game-plan for, but anytime you play against them, he’s the first guy you think about as far as their one warrior,’’ Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. “He leads them in their collective will and determination.’’
Noah has been dealing with the foot problem since January, and he missed two games in early February when the soreness became too much to play through. He limped out of the training room after the loss Thursday against the Trail Blazers.
Taj Gibson (knee) and Kirk Hinrich (foot) were able to play a second consecutive game, but Derrick Rose (knee) and Richard Hamilton (back) were still out.
“I’ve been through seasons before where guys have missed a good chunk of the season,’’ Thibodeau said. “It happened in Boston with [ Kevin] Garnett, then in Houston with Yao [ Ming]. It happened in New York with [ Patrick] Ewing, so whatever your circumstances are, you’re faced with the challenge of making the best of those circumstances. You have to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of your team and figure out what you think gives your team the best chance at winning.’’
Budding rivalry?
Vogel thought the talk of BullsPacers developing into a heated rivalry was a bit overstated, but he acknowledged that it could be headed in that direction.
“Obviously, they’re the Central Division champs and the team we’ve been chasing for a couple of years,’’ Vogel said, ‘‘so I think there’s a little more importance, a little different feeling when we play the Bulls or the Miami Heat, teams that have knocked us out of the playoffs the last couple of years. The rivalry talk is more for [the media], but it’s definitely a team we get up for.’’