Joakim Noah finishes one assist shy of triple-double as Bulls tear apart Rockets

You can relax now, Joakim Noah. We get it. You like triple-doubles and can distribute the ball freakishly well for a center.

The Chicago Bulls put away the Houston Rockets 111-87 on Thursday night, and for the umpteenth time this season, the versatility of Noah's game was on full display.

Noah finished one assist shy of what would have been his third triple-double this month, posting 13 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists, and two steals. Each of the Bulls' five starters scored in double digits, and D.J. Augustin came off the bench to post 13 points and eight assists.

But no recap of the game would be complete without mentioning Mike Dunleavy, who went scoreless in the first half and had to exit the game in the second quarter after taking an elbow to the face from Chandler Parsons. This was Dunleavy's face after the incident:

Dunleavy returned in the second half with 10 stitches and proceeded to drop 18 points in the third quarter, outscoring the entire Rockets team, which only managed 16 points in the frame. The 33-year-old finished the game with 21 points, seven rebounds, two assists, one steal, and an infinite amount of respect.

It was a quiet night for Dwight Howard, who posted his usual double-double but was only able to get to the free throw line on two occasions as a result of Noah's excellent defense.

Speaking of which, here's an awesome photo of Howard and Noah from 10 years ago: