Joakim Noah's MRI comes back clean
— -- CLEVELAND -- Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah will not play Monday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers as he continues to recover from a sprained right ankle.
The good news for the Bulls, however, is that the MRI taken Saturday on Noah's ankle came back "clean," and coach Tom Thibodeau hopes the All-Star center can return soon.
"It's clean, so it's good," Thibodeau said after Monday's shootaround. "He's making progress, so we'll see where he is when we get back."
Noah initially sprained the ankle on Dec. 2 and tweaked it again the next night. He missed four games in December because of the injury and ongoing issues related to offseason left knee surgery in May. Noah has missed the past three games and continues to get treatment on the ankle.
Bulls rookie Doug McDermott is expected to be active for the first time in over a month since having arthroscopic right knee surgery on Dec. 13. McDermott struggled to find a spot in Thibodeau's rotation during his first month in the league, and it is unclear whether he will play Monday night.
Bulls small forward Mike Dunleavy will miss his 10th straight game on Monday night because of a right ankle injury. Thibodeau said that Dunleavy has started running again but is not ready to return.
"Mike is doing more," Thibodeau said. "But he still needs a little more time."
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