BOSTON – Joakim Noah was limping around the shootaround in sweats and a cashmere sweater, obviously unavailable for tonight’s game with the Celtics, still nursing the sprained right ankle suffered in the Wednesday loss to Washington.
Nothing is ever obvious in Tom Thibodeau’s world.
When the coach was asked if Noah would indeed be in street clothes for the Boston game, his replay was, “He could be out.’’
Thibodeau eventually reduced “could be’’ to just plain out, also revealing that Noah would have an MRI done tomorrow back in Chicago. Not the first time Noah has had ankle problems the last few years.
“It’s better,’’ Noah said of the latest injury. “Just gotta keep working at it every day and get my MRI tomorrow. It is what it is. Just got to keep pushing.
“I’ve had worse ankle injuries. It’s the same one. It is what it is. I sprained my ankle. I’ll be out for a little bit. Put my work in and get back to the court as soon as I can.’’
Noah predicted a “short absence,’’ but so did Mike Dunleavy, who will miss his eighth-straight game with a jammed right ankle. Doug McDermott will also be out, as he recovers from right knee surgery.
