Noah could face league discipline

Joakim Noah could face league discipline after directing a profanity followed by an anti-gay slur toward a fan Sunday during the first quarter of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Noah, an extremely emotional player, drew his second foul at the 6-minute, 26-second mark, sending the Bulls starter to the bench. There, TNT cameras caught Noah turning to the crowd and using the same slur that the Lakers' Kobe Bryant directed at official Bennie Adams during the regular season.

"I got caught up," Noah said. "A fan said something. And I said something back. I apologize."

The NBA fined Bryant $100,000 for that incident and issued a strongly worded rebuke from Commissioner David Stern. If Noah's infraction is confirmed, it's unclear whether his jawing with a fan who might have antagonized the player would mitigate any punishment by the league.

"I don't know what's going to happen," Noah said. "I don't mean no disrespect to anybody. I just got caught up