Joakim Noah returns for Bulls Friday

The Chicago Bulls will get a big lift as they head into a showdown on the road against a tough Western Conference foe. 

Bulls center Joakim Noah, out for the past four games with a right ankle sprain, says he's a go for his team's Friday night game against the Dallas Mavericks. 

Noah has dealt all season with ankle and knee injuries that have hampered his production and kept him out of 11 games. When he's played, he's averaged just 7.6 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, his lowest such numbers since his sophomore season in 2008-09. 

That said, the Bulls rebound and defend better when he's on the floor, and they'll rely on him to slow Mavericks center Tyson Chandler. 

The Bulls went 2-2 in Noah's most recent absence and have lost six of nine games overall.