Joakim Noah frustrated by limit on playing time

Here’s ESPN Chicago reporting on the Bulls, whose health issues this season have been a major problem:

Joakim Noah remains on a limit of 32 minutes per game, but he hopes that the restriction imposed before the season by the Chicago Bulls’ front office will be lifted before the postseason.

The restriction, which has been in place all season, returned to the forefront after Sunday’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder — a game in which Noah barely played down the stretch. Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said he “ran out of minutes” for Noah.

“It’s frustrating,” Noah said, his first public comments since before Friday’s loss to the Charlotte Hornets. “But I think I’m not the only one who’s frustrated sometimes. I think it’s part of the grind. But I’m just trying to stay focused on what’s important: trying to win basketball games. I’m not trying to get caught up in any noise or anything like that. I don’t want to be a distraction. We’ll figure it out internally and do what’s best for the team.”

Timberwolves sign guard Sean Kilpatrick to 10-day contract

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has signed guard Sean Kilpatrick to a 10-day contract. The Timberwolves were granted an NBA hardship exception for a 16th roster spot due to having four players out due to injury.

Kilpatrick, 25, has averaged 13.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 42 games this season with Delaware and Santa Cruz of the NBADL. Kilpatrick, 6-4, went undrafted in the 2014 NBA Draft after a four-year career at the University of Cincinnati. Kilpatrick finished his career with averages of 15.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 140 contests, earning Second-Team All-America honors his senior season. Kilpatrick was signed by the Golden State Warriors on October 20, 2014 and waived on October 24, 2014 after playing with the Philadelphia 76ers on their 2014 NBA Summer League team.

Marcin Gortat fined by NBA for flopping

Washington Wizards center Marcin Gortat has been fined $5,000 by the NBA for violating the league’s anti-flopping rules for the second time this season.

The incident occurred with 4:31 remaining in the fourth quarter of Washington’s 88-84 victory over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, March 18, at EnergySolutions Arena.

To view the play, click on this link.

Knicks team physician Dr. Lisa Callahan named 2014 Physician of the Year

New York Knicks Team Physician Dr. Lisa Callahan has been named the 2014 Physician of the Year, as voted by members of the National Basketball Athletic Trainers Association (NBATA).

The NBATA Physician of the Year Award is an annual honor recognizing an NBA team physician for exceptional service to their respective team, NBA, and NBATA.

“Dr. Callahan has always provided guidance and had an extraordinary rapport with the members of the NBATA,” said Gregg Farnam, NBATA Chairman and Athletic Trainer of the Minnesota Timberwolves. “When our team’s players are in need of medical attention, she has always gone above and beyond what she needs to do to care for them. There is a comfort level in knowing that she is willing and able to assist at anytime.”

Dr. Callahan is currently in her 11th season overseeing the medical staffs of both the Knicks and the WNBA’s Liberty, and in the summer of 2014, was promoted to chief medical officer and senior vice president of player care for MSG Sports, adding the NHL’s New York Rangers, the NBA D-League’s Westchester Knicks and the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. She was elected secretary/treasurer of the NBA Team Physicians Society in 2013 and is the team physician for the 2014-16 USA Basketball Men’s National Team.

She is the co-founder and medical director of the Women’s Sports Medicine Center at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan, rated the Northeast’s top orthopedic facility for the last 24 consecutive years (and best in the nation for five straight years) by U.S. News and World Report, and in addition, she is the founding director of the Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship Program at HSS.

The award will be presented to Dr. Callahan pregame tonight at center court of Madison Square Garden by Farnam and Knicks Head Athletic Trainer Roger Hinds.

Knicks sign Ricky Ledo to 10-day contract

New York Knicks President Phil Jackson announced today that the team has signed guard Ricky Ledo of the NBA Development League’s Texas Legends to a 10-day contract, marking the 50th overall NBA Development League “Call-Up” this season.

Ledo, 6-7, 195-pounds, averaged 15.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists over 32.8 minutes in 26 games (23 starts) for Texas this season. Over the past two seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, he recorded 20 total points over 44 minutes in 16 games. He was originally selected by Milwaukee in the second round (43rd overall) of the 2013 NBA Draft, following his freshman year at Providence College.