--C Joakim Noah had three straight single-digit rebounding games and fell out of the league lead in the category. But he snapped out of it against Milwaukee on Monday with 17 boards and 16 points. After the game, Noah was disappointed in his defense against Bucks center Andrew Bogut, who scored 22 points.

--F Luol Deng has had a couple of impressive games against the Bucks. In the Nov. 3 game at the United Center, he piled up 24 points and 20 rebounds. In Monday's rematch, Deng finished with 22 points and 14 boards. Milwaukee often plays without a true power forward and Deng took advantage by hanging near the basket for rebounds and post-up opportunities.

--G Derrick Rose scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half during Monday's loss at Milwaukee. Working against rookie sensation Brandon Jennings, Rose went to the basket aggressively and scored in the lane the way he did last year as a rookie. After the game, Rose joked that he felt like an old person having flashbacks of his younger self.

MEDICAL WATCH:

--G Kirk Hinrich (sprained left thumb) injured the thumb during a Nov. 25 practice and was relieved when an MRI exam showed no tear in the ligament. He's missed two games, but is hoping to return soon.

--F Tyrus Thomas (broken left arm) is expected to be out until early December after breaking the radius in his left forearm. This was a freak accident that occurred while Thomas did a pull-up during a weightlifting session at the Berto Center. A metal plate was used to repair the break during surgery on Nov. 7.

--C Jerome James (torn right Achilles') hasn't played since early last season when he was with the Knicks. No one is counting on any contributions from him, but he's vowed to get healthy and play sometime this season. He's starting to run again, but needs to pass a fitness test before he'll be allowed to practice.