Noah to rest injured foot through all-star break

Bulls center Joakim Noah will rest his aching left foot through next weekend's all-star break, hoping to get healthier for the stretch run.

While the Bulls had a day off in preparation for Friday's game in Atlanta, Noah planned to return to Chicago to receive treatment for plantar fasciitis. The third-year center played limited minutes in this week's losses to Philadelphia and the Los Angeles Clippers, averaging 7 points and 7 rebounds.

Both Noah and rookie forward Taj Gibson have been trying to play through foot injuries. Gibson has yet to miss a game, while Noah sat out Jan. 24 at Houston.

Veteran center Brad Miller came through with 25 points in that win over the Rockets and he figures to start while Noah is out.

It was obvious this week that Noah wasn't himself and seemed to be dragging his left leg up and down the court. Overall this season, Noah is averaging 12.0 rebounds, 11.2 points and 1.7 blocks.

The Bulls lead the NBA in blocked shots per game but didn't collect any in Wednesday's overtime loss at Philadelphia.

If Noah sits out through the all-star break, he'll miss four games. After facing the Hawks, the Bulls finish a busy week by hosting Miami on Saturday. Next week brings another back-to-back, at Indiana on Tuesday, followed by a home date with Orlando.