Chicago Bulls C Joakim Noah missed practice on Friday, flying to New York to attend to a personal matter.
Bereavement leave is generally granted after the death of a loved one, and the Bulls (and Noah) have declined to comment further. Coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters that he hopes Noah will be available for practice Saturday.
"Jo's out for bereavement," Thibodeau said. "Hopefully he'll be back (Saturday). But everybody else is here ... he's back in New York but hopefully he'll be back (Saturday)."
A source told ESPN Chicago that Noah is expected to return to Chicago Friday night. The Bulls take on the Washington Wizards in the first game of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff matchup on Sunday at 4pm EST.
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