Video: Joakim Noah Connects With Taj Gibson On Backdoor Alley-Oop

With Derrick Rose ostensibly out for the season, the Bulls have fallen back on their plan last season to squeeze as much offense out of a Rose-less squad as possible. That’s why a lot of their sets begin with Joakim Noah coming to meet the ball at the high block. That’s what happened to start this play from the second quarter when Noah found a backdoor cutting Taj Gibson for the flawlessly executed alley-oop slam.

The play itself looks like a horns set where Gibson is setting a pin-down screen on Mike Dunleavy to spring him for an open shot. But D.J. Augustin, who initiated the play by passing the ball to Noah, actually screens-the-screener, taking off Gibson’s man following Gibson’s diversionary pin-down, and Taj dives towards the hoop for the pretty finish off the heady Noah pass.

Joakim was one assist away from a triple-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists in Chicago’s 94-82 win over the visiting Celtics. Maybe Tom Thibodeau stole the play from his former Boston boss and master of out-of-timeout actions, Doc Rivers.

Jordan Crawford, continuing his surprisingly efficient play for the Celtics this season, scored 22 (7-of-11) and passed for seven assists in the loss, though he also committed five turnovers.

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