Bulls’ Joakim Noah Out At Least 2 Weeks With Sprained Left Shoulder

Noah is expected to miss at least two weeks after Tuesday’s MRI revealed a sprained left shoulder, Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago reports.

Brooklyn Nets center Andrea Bargnani (9) shoots over Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah during the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Dec. 21, 2015, in Chicago. Coach Fred Hoiberg called the injury a shoulder sprain.

Derrick Rose struggled again, he was just 3-11 from the floor and seemed to be just going through the motions for most of the night.

The Bulls were led by Jimmy Butler‘s 24 points, while Pau Gasol chipped in 20 points and 9 rebounds.

The Nets continued their good play in the third quarter, when they built a double-digit advantage.

A nine-year veteran, Noah is averaging a career-low 4.5 points a game and shooting 40.4 percent from the field this season, where he has had to adjust to a reserve role. With Mirotic starting, Portis played the backup minutes at power forward, while Snell, who has started 21 games, was out of the rotation.

“Butler made some tough shots, obviously”, noted Lopez, who also had a clutch block of Butler in the waning seconds. After the game, Noah said he “felt a pop” and knew something was wrong with the shoulder.

Noah was instantly and very evidently in serious pain, immediately bending at the waist, favoring his left arm and walking off toward the Bulls bench. The main reason, though, more likely was to create playing time for rookie Bobby Portis.

Bulls: Visit the Oklahoma Thunder on Christmas Day.