Minutes restriction for Noah a nonfactor in win over Indiana

Joakim Noah’s suddenly very public minutes restrictions aren’t going to go away anytime soon.

The Bulls didn’t need them to Wednesday.

Behind 25 points from rookie Nikola Mirotic and 21 points from Mike Dunleavy, the Bulls (41-28) ended a two-game losing streak, beating the Indiana Pacers 103-86 at the United Center.

But all eyes remained on Noah, who has been dancing with restrictions on his playing time all season after having offseason surgery on his left knee. He finished with six points, 14 rebounds and seven assists in 29:08.

‘‘It’s frustrating,’’ Noah said. ‘‘I think I’m not the only one who’s frustrated sometimes. I think it’s part of the grind. I’m just trying to stay focused on what’s important and 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.’’

Lately, what management has deemed best has been reduced time for Noah. He was back down to 32 minutes since missing last week’s game in Philadelphia when the knee acted up again. He returned in Charlotte but was unable to finish that game and also missed the final minutes in Oklahoma City after he’d reached his limit.

He opted to avoid the media for several days, raising questions about where he stood on the restrictions being handed down from management.

Asked if he’d like to be on the floor to close games, Noah said, ‘‘It’d be nice. I think that right now I’m feeling better and better on the court. I know I still have another gear. But I think that the reason for this minutes restriction is to try to protect me, too. It’s not to point any fingers or anything like that. We just have to do what’s best for me and the team. I think we’re going to be just fine.’’

For now, maybe.

But Noah said if he feels the restrictions are hindering him by the last week of the regular season and into postseason play, a discussion would have to take place.

‘‘As coaches and an organization, all together I think we can talk and figure it out,’’ he said. ‘‘That’s fair.’’

The way coach Tom Thibodeau handled it against the Pacers was a bit more spread out. Outscoring the Pacers 27-19 in the second quarter after a two-point lead in the first made it easier for Thibodeau to lighten Noah’s load, playing him just over seven minutes in each of the first two quarters.

Noah put in 4:19 in the third and was available for most of the fourth. The Bulls didn’t really need him.

‘‘We’ve talked about a lot of things all season long,’’ Thibodeau said when asked about discussions he’s had with Noah about minutes.

The win kept the Bulls in the No. 4 spot of the Eastern Conference playoff picture with 13 games left. They hope to get key players back soon with Jimmy Butler (left elbow) and Taj Gibson (left ankle) practicing.

Minutes restrictions for those two is still an unknown.

‘‘I’ve been around a long time,’’ Thibodeau said. ‘‘For me, you block out all the noise and just concentrate on your job. I have no regrets. I put everything I have into each and every day. I’m going to let the results, you know .?.?. and I’m good with that.’’