Bulls-Lakers Preview

By NOEY KUPCHAN
Posted Dec 24 2011 6:23PM

A bizarre offseason for the Los Angeles Lakers has left many unsure what to expect from one of the NBA's most storied franchises.

Expectations couldn't get much higher for reigning MVP Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls despite not much of an offseason stir.

It appears a banged-up Kobe Bryant will play in the season opener as the Lakers host Rose and the Bulls in a much-anticipated Christmas Day matchup.

After failing to work out a trade for Orlando's Dwight Howard and seeing its deal for star point guard Chris Paul - who ultimately landed with the crosstown Clippers - rejected by the league, Los Angeles enters the season with plenty of uncertainty.

Former coach and 11-time champion Phil Jackson's retirement will certainly take time getting used to, and sending Lamar Odom - a key member of the 2008-09 and 2009-10 title teams - to Dallas for a 2012 first-round pick only fueled the frenzy surrounding the Lakers.

"I've never quite seen something like this unfold," said Bryant, who expects to play despite recently tearing a ligament in his right wrist. "Phil (Jackson) called it years ago. It's kind of become somewhat of a mess, but I think everybody is glad that it's behind them and everybody can move and just talk about the teams and the season."

Despite going 57-25 last season to claim a fourth consecutive Pacific Division crown, the Lakers were ultimately swept by the Mavericks in last season's conference semifinals.

Though it was rumored four-time All-Star Pau Gasol was upset about being part of the Paul deal that fell through, his presence along with that of Bryant still makes a 17th ring for the Lakers a possibility. However, getting accustomed to new coach Mike Brown's system will be a big adjustment as well.

"It's going to be different, but we still have a lot of talent," Gasol said. "We can still have a great season."

So can Chicago, which likes its chances of contending for a title behind Rose.

Averaging 25.0 points and 7.7 assists to become the youngest MVP in league history, Rose - who recently turned 23 - led the Bulls to a league-best 62-20 record in 2010-11 before they fell to Miami in the conference finals.

Chicago hardly changed the roster, with the notable exception of Richard Hamilton's addition, and the strong returning corps of Rose, Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng has Bulls fans excited about what lies ahead.

"Our goal is to win a championship, and I think that we have a decent shot with the guys that we have coming back," said Rose, fresh off signing a five-year, $94.8 million extension. "I have a lot of belief in my teammates, and I know that they have a lot of belief in me and a lot of confidence in me as a player. That's all we need."

Chicago stands to greatly benefit from the acquisition of Hamilton, who signed a three-year, $15 million deal after being bought out by Detroit. The 12-year veteran has averaged 17.7 points for his career and figures to provide the Bulls with a consistent scoring threat at shooting guard, something they clearly lacked last season.

"They were already a great team before me, and I felt it was an opportunity where I could help," Hamilton said.

While Chicago will undoubtedly lean on Rose, having Noah and Boozer stay healthy and contribute consistently also will be key. They missed a combined 57 games last season, and Chicago went 24-5 with both big men in the lineup.

"I felt like we had the team - we still do - to win the whole thing," said Deng, who averaged 17.4 points last season. "But going into this year, we've got to focus on us - what we've learned from it and how we can get better. We can't just focus on one team. There are a lot of good teams in the East, but we've just got to focus on where we've got to get better and what we've got to do this year."

Noah and Boozer won't have to worry about defending Lakers center Andrew Bynum, who will begin serving what is now a four-game suspension for making unnecessary and excessive contact with Dallas' J.J. Barea in the playoffs. Bynum's punishment was reduced by one game due to the shortened season.

His absence surely won't make things easier on Brown, who planned to move Metta World Peace to the bench this season but could start the former Ron Artest while Bynum is out.

"I'm going into the season knowing that this is my team, and I'm happy about it," Brown said. "I'm going to coach this team right here, and I'll let the perceptions swell. At the end of the season, we'll see how it all shook out."

The Lakers had taken seven straight meetings in this series before losing the most recent one, 88-84 in Chicago last Dec. 10.

Bulls rally to stun Lakers on Rose's winner

By GREG BEACHAM
Posted Dec 26 2011 12:08AM

LOS ANGELES (AP) Derrick Rose drove the lane and lofted home a smooth floating shot for the winning points in the Chicago Bulls' opener, just in case anybody doubted the youngest MVP in NBA history can shoulder the expectations that come bundled with that shiny new trophy and a huge contract extension.

Yet Rose realized the Bulls' dramatic comeback and his beautiful winner were only possible because Luol Deng did a whole mess of dirty work against Kobe Bryant.

Rose scored 22 points and hit a short go-ahead shot with 4.8 seconds to play, and the Bulls rallied from an 11-point deficit in the final 3:44 for an 88-87 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

"If it weren't for my teammates, making the steal and getting the ball to me at the end, there's no way I could have gotten that shot off to help us win that game," Rose said.

That credit went straight to Deng, who scored 21 points and stole Bryant's pass with 16.9 seconds left to set up Rose's winner before finally blocking Bryant's short shot right before the buzzer. Rose was grateful the Bulls hung on to win the clubs' first Christmas meeting, but even happier about their poise in an early test.

"We definitely don't want to be in a situation like that, but we fought our way back," said Rose, who went 9 for 13. "We just played harder. We stepped up our intensity on the defensive end. Throughout the whole game, our defense wasn't there. I mean, we showed spots of it, but we didn't keep it consistent. Then, at the end, we played defense."

Carlos Boozer had 15 points for the Bulls, who have designs on a championship run after leading the NBA with 62 regular-season victories last season. But Chicago appeared headed for a mildly surprising loss in the first game of a season filled with high expectations until Rose and Deng bailed out the Bulls, who finished with a 17-5 rally.

The Bulls had to score the final seven points to earn their first road win over the Lakers in six tries.

Deng scored nine points in the fourth quarter, including a three-point play and two free throws in the final 45 seconds. One possession before he stretched to block Bryant's final shot, Deng alertly intercepted Bryant's pass to Pau Gasol out of a trap, setting up Rose's winner.

"He threw a lob pass, and I was able to get to it," Deng said. "As soon as we got the ball, I knew we were going to score."

Until the final minutes, the Bulls were thoroughly disappointed with their effort, while the Lakers were pleased by their passion and execution after a tumultuous preseason. Chicago struggled mightily against coach Mike Brown's new defensive schemes for the Lakers in the second half, managing just 25 percent shooting (12 for 48).

Bryant scored 28 points and committed eight turnovers while playing with a torn wrist ligament for the Lakers, but couldn't finish strong in his NBA-record 14th Christmas Day appearance. Los Angeles still led 87-81 on Bryant's jumper with 54 seconds left, but Deng and Rose took the game away from him.

"I saw a lot of positive things," Bryant said. "Defensively, we were terrific. We did a good job, and we're just going to get better. We're going to be very good defensively."

Bryant wore a compression sleeve on his right arm while playing without a brace on his right wrist after getting hurt last week. He appeared to have trouble handling the ball, but displayed a fairly smooth jump shot and his usual superb footwork.

Gasol added 14 points for the Lakers, but was held scoreless in the fourth quarter while committing four fouls. Los Angeles also played without suspended center Andrew Bynum and departed sixth man Lamar Odom in the debut of Brown, who replaced 11-time champion Phil Jackson.

"We played pretty good basketball until right down the stretch," Brown said. "There were a lot of things that went wrong down the stretch where we didn't quite finish the game."

Los Angeles began the second half with an 18-7 run, clicking on both ends while claiming a one-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. Chicago finally awoke after Los Angeles pushed its fourth-quarter lead to 82-71 with 3:45 to play, and the Bulls' game-ending run was abetted by four straight missed free throws by the Lakers.

The Lakers' 13th straight Christmas appearance was the second straight for the Bulls, who returned to the holiday slate last season for the first time since the last of Michael Jordan's six championship campaigns in 1997.

NOTES: Bryant's 14th Christmas game in his 16 NBA seasons surpassed the record jointly held by Earl Monroe, Dolph Schayes and Shaquille O'Neal. ... Richard Hamilton scored six points in his first start for the Bulls, who signed the veteran shooter 11 days earlier. ... Veterans Matt Barnes, Luke Walton and Jason Kapono didn't get into the game for the Lakers, while rookie G Andrew Goudelock hit two 3-pointers and played 12 1/2 minutes. ... Fans near courtside included Kanye West, Adam Levine, Terrell Owens, Frank Robinson and Maria Shriver.

Bulls-Lakers notebook

By Dan Arritt, for NBA.com
Posted Sunday December 25, 2011 9:35PM

THE FACTS: The Bulls rallied from an 11-point deficit with 3 and 1/2 minutes remaining Sunday against the Lakers, taking the lead on a jump hook in the lane by point guard Derrick Rose with 4.8 seconds left at Staples Center, then holding on for the 88-87 victory when Luol Deng blocked Kobe Bryant's driving shot at the buzzer.

QUOTABLE: "I'm going to give my best player a chance to win the game."
-- Lakers coach Mike Brown

THE STAT: The Bulls were limited to 32 second-half points and missed 17 of their first 18 field-goal attempts in the fourth quarter, but converted six of the their final seven to escape with the victory.

TURNING POINT: The Lakers had the ball and a one-point lead with 20.4 seconds remaining. Metta World Peace in-bounded to Bryant, who was double-teamed near the half-court line. He tried to pass over the defenders to Pau Gasol at the top of the key, but Deng stole the ball from behind and got it to Rose, who weaved through the defense and shot over Gasol. Bryant, playing with a torn ligament in his right wrist, finished with eight turnovers, matching the third-highest total of his career.

QUOTABLE: "Turnovers and free throws."
-- Bryant when asked how the Lakers lost the game

HOT: As cold as the Bulls were to start the fourth quarter, they were at the opposite end of the thermostat to close the first half, converting 13 of their final 14 field-goal attempts. The only miss came on a rare blocked shot by Lakers guard Derek Fisher. The Bulls led, 56-49, at the half.

NOT: Gasol and Josh McRoberts each went 0-for-2 from the free-throw line in the final 1:40 of the game and the Lakers finished 11-for-20 from the stripe overall. Gasol also fouled Deng as he scored on a lay up after grabbing his own missed 3-pointer with 45 seconds left, allowing the Bulls to make it a one-possession game.

GOOD MOVE: After Bryant's fourth turnover of the first half, Rose took World Peace to school when he began dribbling the ball away from the basket and toward the perimeter. He quickly changed course with a behind-the-back dribble and took the ball down the baseline and past World Peace, laying it in for a three-point lead with 5:41 remaining in the first half. Rose finished with a team-high 22 points and five assists.

BAD MOVE: With 2 and 1/2 minutes remaining in the game and the Lakers holding a five-point lead, Brown decided to put the inexperienced Devin Ebanks on the floor in place of World Peace, a more seasoned defender. By the time Brown could get World Peace back in the game with 20 seconds left, Deng was in the process of hitting a second consecutive free throw to cut the deficit to one.

NOTABLE: Bryant finished with 28 points, the 14th straight regular season game in which he has totaled at least 20. That mark equals Carmelo Anthony of the Knicks for the longest-active streak in the NBA. ... Lakers guard Steve Blake finished with 12 points off the bench, his highest-scoring game since he had 14 on Nov. 5, 2010 against the Raptors. ... The Lakers fell to 4-9 on Christmas Day.

UP NEXT: For the Lakers, Monday @ Sacramento, Tuesday vs. Utah, Thursday vs. New York. For the Bulls, Monday @ Golden State, Thursday @ Sacramento, Friday @ Clippers.

• Bulls: --
• Lakers: Caracter, Morris

• Bulls: --
• Lakers: --

• Lead Changes: 13
• Times Tied: 8

• Arena: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
• Officials: #57 Greg Willard, #47 Bennie Adams, #34 Kevin Cutler
• Attendance: 18997
• Duration: 2:34