Just when the Bulls appeared to be back to full strength, they suddenly weren't again.

Center Joakim Noah was a late scratch Saturday night against the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center because of plantar fasciitis of the left foot.

The Bulls only discovered Noah was suffering from the ailment - inflammation of the plantar fascia tendon on the bottom of the foot -- following the victory against the Phoenix Suns on Friday.

"I've had it before, but never this bad," he said.

Still, Noah said before the game that he would play. He was included in the starting lineups the teams release about a half hour before tip-off.