'Just another game' for ex-Bull Thomas

Joakim Noah almost brought the house down Saturday when he threw down a fourth-quarter dunk in a 1-on-1 joust with former teammate Tyrus Thomas.

In the heat of the moment, Noah probably didn't even notice the identity of the opponent, right?

"No, I did," Noah said after the game. "I knew it was him."

In his first trip to the United Center as an opposing player, Thomas didn't fare badly, especially considering he missed the majority of the previous three games with a sprained ankle. The spring-loaded power forward finished with 10 points, 3 rebounds and 2 blocks in 16 minutes.

After the game, Thomas sat back at his locker, his injured foot soaking in a bucket of ice, and didn't show much emotion besides disappointment from the loss.

"Once the ball went up, it was just another game," Thomas said. "I didn't have any anxiousness or nervousness. It was just like it's been since I got traded.

"Yesterday on the way here and coming to the arena, I thought I was going to have some kind of different emotion. I don't know what exactly I thought I was going to feel. But once I got here, I just wanted to play and win and try to get a step closer to a playoff spot."

Thomas' four seasons in Chicago were sometimes rocky, sometimes electrifying, certainly disappointing for Bulls fans. He heard a few boos on Saturday, but nothing overwhelming.

His time with the Bulls came to an end on Feb. 18 when he was sent to Charlotte for Flip Murray, Acie Law and a future first-round pick. He wasn't likely to stick around beyond the summer, so the Bulls tried to get some sort of asset in return.

Asked if he's had a chance to reflect on his time with the Bulls, Thomas was blunt.

"I don't really want to," he said. "I'm not disappointed at all. It was just a learning experience. - It's something that you take and run with it. You can't harp on it or say what would have happened. You just have to learn from it and move on."

Thomas visited the Bulls locker room before the game. After the final buzzer, he hugged most every member of the team, including assistant coach Bernie Bickerstaff.

"I really enjoyed playing with Tyrus," Noah added. "We shared a lot of good moments playing in that (Boston) playoff series together. When I came to Chicago, he was one of the first persons who took me in, showed me around a little bit. So that's my guy."