Tue, 11/17 Bulls @ Kings

Center Joakim Noah remembered some of the hard fouls Nocioni delivered to opponents. Those same traits that made Nocioni so popular at the United Center often made him a villain on the road.

"I miss that guy," Noah said Monday at the Berto Center. "Yeah, it's going to be cool to see him. Noc was a great dude, someone who plays with a lot of emotion.

"He was somebody that you always wanted to have on your team, because the way he just fouls the heck out of people and all that.

"Everybody hated Noc on the road and everybody hated him on other teams. So it's going to be weird to see what those hacks feel like."

Luol Deng was Nocioni's best friend on the Bulls, and Deng was hoping they'd be able to get together Monday night after the team arrived in Sacramento.

Deng and Nocioni had adjoining lockers at the United Center and also were neighbors in Northbrook during their years together in Chicago.

Those two most likely will be matched up against each other at the start of Tuesday's game, just as they were during countless practices at the Berto Center.

"(I've talked to him) a little bit here and there," Deng said. "It's going to be fun."