Will injury bug hurt Bulls in playoffs?

It can't be playoff time around here unless the Bulls have some injury concerns.

Joakim Noah missed his second straight game with a hamstring issue. The Bulls called it tendinitis, apparently where the muscle connects to the bone. Noah seems confident he'll be able to play in Saturday's playoff opener.

"Just a little hamstring issue," Noah told reporters at Wednesday's shootaround. "I've just got to be careful. It happened about a week ago and got progressively worse. Just using this time to do all the rehab and all the things necessary to be ready for the playoffs.

"It's tough, just a little setback, but it's an exciting time of year."

Coach Tom Thibodeau also described Noah's absence as a pre-playoffs precaution.

"I think he'll be fine. We'll leave it at that," Thibodeau said. "I do expect him to play (Saturday). He said he's feeling a lot better today. I want it to clear up."

There are more injuries to worry about. Kirk Hinrich missed his second straight game with a hyperextended left knee. Taj Gibson left Wednesday's game in the third quarter with a left shoulder strain and Derrick Rose didn't play in the second half.

Rose's inaction was probably a precaution. There was talk before the game that Gibson might sit out with the sore shoulder, but he decided to give it a try.

Jordan statue moving:

The United Center will undergo a dramatic change Thursday. Weather permitting, the Michael Jordan statue will be temporarily relocated so construction can begin on an office center on the east side of the arena.

The statue's temporary location will be roughly 150 feet south of its current location, near Gate 5. The body of the statue will be the only portion moved. The pedestal base will be protected and remain in place during the construction process, while the statue rests on a temporary base.

Eventually, the Jordan statue will sit in an atrium between the United Center and the office building, so tourists can enjoy the statue in rain, snow or shine.

Multiple milestones:

Before the third quarter ended on Wednesday, Pau Gasol recorded his 54th double-double of the season. He led the league and set a career-high. The Bulls say it's the fourth-highest total in franchise history. Artis Gilmore had 65 double-doubles in 1978-79, 63 in 1977-78 and 59 in 1976-77.

Bulls center Nazr Mohammed played in his 1,000th career game Wednesday. He's just the 115th player in NBA history to reach that number.

At halftime, the Bulls honored longtime marketing director Steve Schanwald, who is retiring.