The Chicago Bulls (29-26) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers (11-46) 126-115 at United Center on Sunday.
Chicago entered the game riddled with injuries to two of their key players, Jimmy Butler (knee) and Nikola MIrotic (appendectomy), and will remain without them for another 2-3 weeks. While the Bulls are a different team without Butler and Mirotic, they continue to run a similar offense, one that was able to handle one of the league's worst teams in the Lakers. It was a nostalgic night for Kobe Bryant, as this marked his last game in Chicago, one that brought up multiple montages of the Michael Jordan-Kobe Bryant days.
The Lakers hung with the Bulls in the first half, playing competitively and physically behind Julius Randle, who strung together another strong performance to the tune of 22 points and 12 rebounds on 10-of-19 shooting. Randle is averaging a double-double on the season now, and entered the game with just over 10 rebounds a game, but it was his shooting percentage that needed work, and he showed promise for the second half of the season after a tough matchup with Pau Gasol and Taj Gibson throughout the game. The Lakers put together a 18-4 scoring run midway through the fourth quarter, which pulled the game within five points, but Derrick Rose drained multiple clutch shots down the stretch which kept the Lakers out of reach. D’Angelo Russell got the start in favor of Lou Williams, a decision that we do not know is permanent yet, but it was Randle’s first start since December 12. The rookie point guard totaled 15 points and six assists in 34 minutes, while Williams pitched in 11 points off the bench. Bryant scored 22 points on 8-of-20 shooting in his farewell game to Chicago.
The Bulls combination of Derrick Rose, E'Twaun Moore and Pau Gasol was nearly unstoppable, as each player exploded for a 20-plus point performance. The third quarter exploited the Lakers defensive issues, where Chicago extended a small halftime lead to 15 points by the end of that quarter. Rose and Moore both finished with 24 points, and the backcourt shot a combined 18-of-29 from the field. Gasol added 21 points, seven rebounds and five assists to round out the box score, and pitched in a needed midrange bucket within two minutes of regulation. The Bulls bench was lead by Bobby Portis and Doug McDermott, who combined for 35 points, as both exceeded 20 minutes of playing time.
The Lakers will visit the Milwaukee Bucks (23-33) for a second game of a back-to-back on Monday, while the Bulls host the Washington Wizards (25-29) on Wednesday.
