After seeing Chicago Bulls forward Joakim Noah on the sidelines of Game 3 using crutches, it was pretty much assumed the Bulls' forward wasn't going to be able to go in Sunday's critical Game 4 against host Philadelphia 76ers. And a hour before the contest (1 p.m. ET on ABC), Chicago, which trails in the best-of-seven series, 1-2, made it official that Noah will not be playing.

The loss of Noah is the second major hit to the top-seeded Bulls, who also lost star point guard Derrick Rose for the rest of the season because of a ACL tear he suffered in Game 1. So far, the Sixers have taken advantage of their now new-found luck, as they've won two straight victories after a disappointing Game 1 loss.

For more on the Sixers, stay tuned to SB Nation Philly and team blog Liberty Ballers. For more on the Bulls check out SBN Chicago and Blog a Bull.