Bulls center Joakim Noah admits to playing with knee injury

Joakim Noah averaged a career-high 12.6 points, 11.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists in the regular season. (Toni L. Sandys/Getty Images) The Bulls were knocked out

Joakim Noah averaged a career-high 12.6 points, 11.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists in the regular season. (Toni L. Sandys/Getty Images)

The Bulls were knocked out of the playoffs Tuesday night after they lost their first-round series to the Wizards in five games.

Chicago center Joakim Noah had three double-doubles in the series, averaging 12.8 rebounds per game, but he scored more than 10 points only once.

After Game 5, Noah disclosed he has been dealing with a left knee injury, and while he didn't say what the injury was or when he suffered it, he did say he'd have it looked at by the team medical staff now that Chicago's season is over, according to Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com.

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"My knee is bothering me," Noah said. "My left knee. I'm not sure what it is, but I was able to play today. I think I was limited a little bit. But it's no excuses. I'll check it out, find out what's wrong, take care of it. Now we got a lot of time to take care of it."

Added Tom Thibodeau: "His knee has bothered him for a while. Probably the whole second half of the year. We will have it checked out and see where he is."

Noah, 29, was "laboring up and down the floor throughout" Game 5 and "didn't have much lift when he jumped," according to Friedell.

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