Bucks Vs. Bulls: Joakim Noah's Triple-Double Fuels A Chicago Victory

Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah didn't play in the fourth quarter, but he didn't need to to secure his first career triple-double on Wednesday. The Florida product finished with 13 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists in a dominating 110-91 win over the Milwaukee Bucks at the United Center. The win moves the Bulls to 27-8, while Milwaukee falls to 13-20.

Chicago's entire starting lineup reached double-figures in scoring. Noah was actually the low-man in the starting unit with 13 points. Power forward Carlos Boozer finished with a team-high 20 points and seven rebounds on 9-of-12 shooting. Luol Deng and Derrick Rose each scored 16 points. Shooting guard Ronnie Brewer had 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting in the win.

Milwaukee was led by Brandon Jennings, who scored 20 points.

For updates on the matchup, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage, visit Blog a Bull and Brew Hoop. News and notes from around the NBA are available at SB Nation's NBA news hub.

Bulls center Joakim Noah entered Wednesday night's game versus the Milwaukee Bucks with a career-high of seven assists. Noah equaled that in the first half tonight, and would secure a triple-double in the third quarter. The Bulls lead Milwaukee 93-75 behind a 13-point, 13-rebound, 10 assist effort from Noah through the first three quarters.

Noah's starting front-court mate Carlos Boozer has also been great, ending the third with 20 points and seven rebounds on 7-of-13 shooting. The Bulls backcourt has been stellar, as well. Rose has 16 points and seven assists, while Ronnie Brewer has 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Kyle Korver has nine points on 4-of-5 shooting.

Point guard Brandon Jennings has 17 points to lead the Bucks. Ersan Ilyasova (15 points) and Jon Leuer (14 points) have also played well for Milwaukee.

For updates on the matchup, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage, visit Blog a Bull and Brew Hoop. News and notes from around the NBA are available at SB Nation's NBA news hub.

Nine Chicago Bulls have scored in the first half tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks, and Tom Thibodeau's team has used that balanced to get out to a 64-53 lead at halftime. Power forward Carlos Boozer has been the Bulls' main threat, finishing the half with 14 points and four rebounds on 6-of-8 shooting. Joakim Noah has also been active, doing all the things he does when he's playing at his best. Noah ends the half with six points (on 6-of-6 free throw shooting), eight rebounds, and seven assists, which already matches his career high.

Star guard Derrick Rose is showing no lingering signs of a recent back injury, either. Rose had an outstanding block in the first quarter, and heads into the second half with 11 points and four assists. Starting shooting guard Ronnie Brewer has 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting.

Shaun Livingston (12 points) and Brandon Jennings (11 points) have powered the Bucks.

For updates on the matchup, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage, visit Blog a Bull and Brew Hoop. News and notes from around the NBA are available at SB Nation's NBA news hub.

The Chicago Bulls are leading 30-23 over the Milwaukee Bucks after one period at the United Center on Wednesday night. It's been a tight game so far between Central division foes, but the Bulls have led by as many as eight points and take a solid lead into the second quarter.

Shooting wasn't a problem for the Bulls in the first quarter as they shot 55 percent from the field and 7-of-8 from the free throw line, but handling the ball was an issue. Chicago turned the ball over six times in the quarter, including three turnovers by Carlos Boozer. The Bucks shot 46 percent in the first quarter.

Boozer leads the Bulls with eight points, while Ronnie Brewer has added seven. Joakim Noah has also been excellent with four points, five rebounds and five assists, an impressive number for the big man. Jon Leuer leads Milwaukee in scoring with eight points himself.

For updates on the matchup, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage, visit Blog a Bull and Brew Hoop. News and notes from around the NBA are available at SB Nation's NBA news hub.

The Milwaukee Bucks won't have small forward Stephen Jackson as they face the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, according to Kurt Helin of ProBasketballTalk. Helin reports that Jackson will be missing the game with a hamstring injury.

Jackson, acquired from Charlotte during the offseason, has struggled to find his footing with the Bucks so far. He began the season as a starter and one of the team's key rotation players, but he's totally fallen out of favor with coach Scott Skiles lately. Since the beginning of February, Jackson has averaged just 19 minutes per game, down from the 36 minutes he averaged with Charlotte last year.

Things have gotten bad enough that Jackson didn't play in Milwaukee's most recent game against the Orlando Magic despite being active. While he's averaged 10.5 points per game with the Bucks, he's shooting a brutal 36 percent from the field. Over Jackson's past five games, he's shot a combined 7-of-29 (24 percent).

For updates on the matchup, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage, visit Blog a Bull and Brew Hoop. News and notes from around the NBA are available at SB Nation's NBA news hub.

While the Chicago Bulls will have Derrick Rose in the starting lineup on Wednesday, back-up point guard C.J. Watson is not expected to play as he continues to recover from a head injury, according to Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago. Watson injured his head while playing against the New Jersey Nets on Feb. 18 and missed Chicago's most recent game against the Atlanta Hawks on Monday.

The 27-year-old has dealt with some injuries this year, but he's been extremely effective while backing up the league's reigning MVP. Playing about 23 minutes per game, Watson has averaged 10.4 points and 4.0 assists over his 23 games. Without Watson, the Bulls will be banking on getting some solid minutes from the likes of John Lucas III and Mike James against Milwaukee.

For updates on the matchup, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage, visit Blog a Bull and Brew Hoop. News and notes from around the NBA are available at SB Nation's NBA news hub.

The Chicago Bulls will once again have starting point guard Derrick Rose in the lineup as they face the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, according to Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago. Rose previously missed five games recently with back spasms, but he played in Chicago's most recent game against the Atlanta Hawks and is expected to play once again against Milwaukee.

Even while having the limiting back injury, Rose played well against Atlanta on Feb. 20, scoring 23 points on 8-of-18 shooting in addition to grabbing five rebounds and dishing six assists. A relatively healthy Rose would obviously be a nice boost for the Bulls against the Bucks, who happen to have an explosive young point guard of their own in Brandon Jennings.

For updates on the matchup, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage, visit Blog a Bull and Brew Hoop. News and notes from around the NBA are available at SB Nation's NBA news hub.