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Jason Miller/US PresswireJoakim Noah backed up his comments with 25 points and 13 rebounds in Game 2.

CLEVELAND -- For three quarters, Joakim Noah's plan was working to perfection.

His pre-game taunting of the city of Cleveland focused all the attention squarely on his burly shoulders. The fans screamed at him and chanted venom in his direction. "Noah Sucks" chants filled the air at Quicken Loans Arena. The entire scene was reminiscent of a WWE show.

And Noah loved it.

He loved playing the villain. He loved that his teammates raised their respective games and did everything they could to help him out. He loved that the pre-game chatter centered on him and not on the game itself. He loved that his team was tied going into the fourth quarter and appeared to be on the verge of stealing a game that nobody expected it to win.

Noah's plan was unfolding exactly how he expected -- but then something happened that even his words and his actions could not control.

Cavaliers superstar LeBron James decided to take over the game, and the Bulls' chances for a victory were gone the moment he did.

James scored 15 points down the stretch, and 40 overall, as the Cavs knocked off the Bulls 112-102 in Game 2.

But as James continued to reign down the types of shots that maybe one or two other people on the planet can consistently make, a funny thing happened for Noah and the Bulls.

They grew more confident.

They realized that they could play with the Cavs.

They realized that LeBron is truly the only person to fear on the roster, and that when LeBron is not making highlight reel shot after highlight reel shot, they actually will have a chance to compete in this series and "shock people" as Noah had warned everyone after the Bulls made the playoffs last week.

"I think we played real hard tonight," a dejected looking Noah said after the game. "I think they just hit some real though shots down the stretch. They didn't get fazed by our runs.

You see, Noah didn't just score 25 points and grab 13 rebounds on Tuesday night, he single-handedly pushed his team to play at a level that they were not sure they could reach in this series. In short, he talked the talk and walked the walk, proving once again that he is the type of emotional leader that this team feeds off of when it needs a lift the most.

The confidence that he instilled in everyone, even after a loss, was apparent in the Bulls locker room after the game.

When Derrick Rose was asked what the Bulls can take after such a demoralizing defeat, he didn't even hesitate with his answer.

"Confidence," he said. "Knowing that we can stay with them throughout the whole game. It takes a little bit more energy. We couldn't just pull away when we were up three … right when we get a lead we just got to find a way to escape from them a little bit so we can take a deep breath."

Noah is the big brother who protects everybody on his street.

He is the that kid on the playground who runs his mouth, but when push comes to shove, he backs up his talk when you need him the most.

Now and in the future, he is the player who will set the tone for the Bulls.

He's not going to back off anything and that's what his teammates love about him.

After the game, he was asked if he regretted anything he said regarding the city of Cleveland.

"Not at all," he said defiantly. "You like it? You think Cleveland is cool? I've never heard anyone say, ‘I'm going to Cleveland on vacation.’ What's so good about Cleveland?"

That unwavering belief in himself is what rubs off on his teammates.

"Joakim is a free spirit," Bulls head coach Vinny Del Negro said. "He has great energy and just continues to improve. He's going to play hard all the time. He was very, very effective tonight from the tip. He did an excellent job in all phases for us, he was just fantastic for us. We need him to play at a hard level."

The fact that he played so well in the face of that kind of adversity didn't faze his teammates at all.

"I know the way that he plays," Rose said. "Games like that are going to happen for him. He plays hard. He deserves what he gets."

Now Noah knows that he must continue to find a way to generate the energy during Game 3 on Thursday night in Chicago.

"We just have to find a way," he said. "I think this is great for our team. We're playing against the best team. The competition doesn't get any higher than this. We just have to keep fighting and understand this is great for us.

"In the big picture, when you go into the summer, you can say we played against the best team and we know what we have to do to get better. That's all it is right now. It's all about getting better and trying to win ballgames."

Even though the Bulls may not have won Monday night, they did get a lot better.

They actually think they can win a few games in this series now.

Noah's plan paid dividends … even in defeat.

Nick Friedell covers the Bulls for ESPNChicago.com.