Bulls' Noah returns Friday after 1-game absence

It looks like all Joakim Noah needed was a day.

The Chicago Bulls center, bothered by soreness in his surgically-repaired left knee, will be back in the lineup for Friday's contest against the Charlotte Hornets following a one-game absence.

Noah, who said his knee felt good at the team's shootaround, sat out Wednesday's win over the Philadelphia 76ers. The knee caused him problems earlier in the season but it's the first game Noah missed for the injury-stricken Bulls since late January.

"It's very important," Noah said about playing. "We see these standings every day. We see what's going on. And we're trying to get a high seed."

Chicago took on the 76ers without three-fifths of its starting unit, in addition to key reserve Taj Gibson.

Derrick Rose remains optimistic he'll play before the season is up, and Jimmy Butler is ahead of schedule as he works his way back from an elbow sprain.

The Bulls might be healthy when it matters, but the injuries have taken a toll in recent weeks. Chicago has slid to second in the Central Division, trailing the surging Cleveland Cavaliers by 1.5 games.

Noah has struggled in 54 games after a pair of back-to-back All-Star appearances, averaging 7.6 points on a career-low 43.7 percent shooting from the field.