CHICAGO -- Before jetting off to his Jamaican vacation, Joakim Noah knew he had to keep his mind focused on basketball for one more night. After a season full of ups and downs, the emotional leader of the Chicago Bulls wanted to make one last point before the All-Star Break.

"We've been really playing pretty s----y basketball lately," Noah acknowledged after Thursday night's 113-98 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. "So just to get a good quality win ... I think it was important for us."

After all the admitted ups and downs of a season that has been tainted by the aftereffects of last May's knee surgery, Noah's best stretch of the season continued Thursday as he posted one of his best games. Noah racked up 10 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists against the Cavs.

More important, he remains more active on both ends of the court and looks as if he is finally trusting that knee. Maybe that's why he was so optimistic before heading out of the United Center late Thursday night.

"I still feel like I got another gear to get to," Noah said. "It's just been up and down, man, so I just have to stay patient, but I'm excited though. I'm feeling better and better, and I just got to keep working."

From a broader prospective, this four-game winning streak is also probably the best Noah and veteran big man Pau Gasol have played together all season. Aside from the Bulls' improved defense, the best news for coach Tom Thibodeau is that his two big men are starting to play better with each other.

So why is this happening now?

"I don't know," Gasol said. "I think Jo has stepped it up, and he's playing really well right now. I think we're both willing passers ... we have length, and I always think that we can complement each other very well. Spacing, I think it's been better. But it's just a matter of things working out well and Jo playing at a higher level."

For years, the Bulls have taken their cues from Noah. He is the emotional leader of this group -- when he's down, many of his teammates are down. When he's up, the Bulls feel as if they can take on the world. That's why a win over LeBron James & Co. was so important for a group that needed a confidence booster heading into the break on a four-game win streak after dropping six of nine.

"We've been dealing with a lot of highs and lows," Noah said. "Winning against good teams, losing against bad teams. Just very inconsistent ... it feels good. This is definitely the best we've played in a while. So we can think about that for a week."

What does Noah plan to do to unwind for the next few days?

"Get a little sun," he said. "Enjoy the sun a little bit, while [Bulls rookie Nikola Mirotic] is going to, I think it's a blizzard in New York [to play in the Rising Stars game]. I'm going to go to the sun, the beach and drink a Red Stripe. So I'm really hyped about that. I'm really, really excited about that."