Will Nets lose Johnson for Game 3?

Maybe plantar fasciitis is contagious. Joakim Noah is fighting through the foot ailment and now Brooklyn guard Joe Johnson missed practice Wednesday due to the same condition.

Johnson told reporters at the team’s New Jersey practice facility that he tweaked his foot in the second quarter of Monday’s Game 2. Johnson hit 6 of 18 shots that night for 17 points. His best moments came late in the game when he nailed back-to-back 3-pointers to bring the Nets within 4 points, but missed another 3 that could have cut it to 1 with just under four minutes remaining.

Johnson suggested he’s dealing with different issues than Noah, but expects to play in Thursday’s Game 3 at the United Center.

“It’s a little different for me and Noah,” Johnson said Wednesday, according to the New York Post. “I’m chasing guys off screens, penetrating, cutting … he’s a big man, so it’s a lot different. I’m a little sore, but I’ll be able to give them what I’ve got.”

Noah, meanwhile, said his foot pain is actually feeling a little better, but described the anguish of plantar fasciitis following practice at the Berto Center.

“It really (stinks). Plantar fasciitis (stinks),” Noah said. “It feels like you have needles underneath your foot when you’re playing. That’s what it feels like. If you can imagine, you need to jump, you need to run, you need to do a lot while you’re playing basketball. You need your feet, right?”

Noah played 25 minutes, producing 11 points and 10 rebounds, in Game 2. Coach Tom Thibodeau suggested Noah’s playing time will be similar Thursday.

“To me, his feet are really what make him so special,” Thibodeau said of Noah. “His foot speed and his agility, that’s a big part of what his strengths are. He’s willing it right now. It says a lot about him. We certainly appreciate what he’s putting forth. He really hasn’t practiced since the all-star break.”

Regarding Johnson’s sore foot, Thibodeau had no doubt the Brooklyn guard will take the court at the United Center.

“He’ll play, don’t worry,” Thibodeau said. “Joe’s a great player. In his career, he’s done amazing things. He shoots the ball, puts it on the floor. He can post, pass. I have great respect for what he’s done in this league.”