Mike DiNovo-USA Today Sports
On Monday night, the Chicago Bulls evened up their playoff series with the Brooklyn Nets by taking Game 2 on the road. Now, with the series switching back to Chicago later this week, the tides have seemingly turned as the Bulls are now the team with all the momentum.
A stout defensive effort keyed the team’s Game 2 victory, while aggressive forward Joakim Noah paced the squad with 11 points and ten rebounds. Noah is playing through a foot injury and has been fighting the pain for a number of weeks now. Through it all, he has still managed to be productive for the Bulls and although he is not your usual, star performer — he might just be the most important piece to the Bulls’ postseason potential.
Noah is not going to score in bunches, he’s not going to break defenders down off the dribble or make it rain from the outside, but you better believe he is going to try and outwork everybody on the court. No matter how badly injured he may be, effort is never a question with Noah.
So no, he won’t carry the team through the 2013 NBA Playoffs, but he will sure could key the team’s run. Noah made enough plays on Monday night to help Chicago even this series, no more than his pivotal block on Brook Lopez late in the fourth quarter. If Noah can continue to play through the pain and provide energy inside and a spark overall, Chicago is in good hands, no matter how far they might go in this year’s playoffs.
Follow Paul Seaver on Twitter: @PaulSeaverRS
