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CHICAGO -- After missing almost a month because of recurring problems with his left ankle, Chicago Bulls power forward Taj Gibson returned to the lineup in a 108-92 win over the Toronto Raptors on Friday night. Gibson scored six points, grabbed three rebounds and dished out an assist in almost 11 minutes of action. The affable big man was both happy and relieved to be back on the floor. "I didn't really have any wind," Gibson said with a smile. "I was just playing. Just running out there trying to help the team any way I can, but my wind wasn't right." Gibson, who has been dealing with ankle injuries off and on for a couple of years, reinjured his left ankle in a Feb. 27 game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He checked into Friday night's game with 4:03 remaining in the first quarter and instantly made his presence felt. After a loud ovation from the United Center crowd, Gibson threw down the first of two huge dunks. The energy he provided the Bulls, even in a limited role, was noticeable. "It's great," Bulls center Joakim Noah said of having Gibson back. "It definitely takes some of the pressure off me and Pau [Gasol] especially. He's somebody who can guard [positions] 1 through 5 and somebody who's going to be really big for us down the stretch. It's good to have him back and it's good to see a lot of guys playing good basketball right now." Gibson said he wasn't sure whether he would play the same amount of minutes Saturday night against the Detroit Pistons; he was just glad to get back on the floor and contribute. "I just wanted to go out there and push it," Gibson said. "I've been having a good, solid couple days of practice with physical play against [Cameron Bairstow]. ... I just wanted to go out there and just test it out. The only way you're going learn is by going out there and getting a lot of [game action]. It's completely different from practice."
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