Lakers hold off Bulls for 5th straight win

By GREG BEACHAM

LOS ANGELES(AP) Shannon Brown matched his season high with 21 points, hitting five 3-pointers against his hometown team, and Kobe Bryant added 20 points in the Los Angeles Lakers' fifth straight victory, 98-91 over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night.

Lamar Odom had 21 points and eight rebounds, but the two-time defending NBA champions trailed early in the fourth quarter before making a decisive 17-2 run when Derrick Rose finally slowed down.

Rose scored 30 points with a series of his usual daredevil drives to the hoop, but managed just three points for the Bulls in the final period, all on free throws.

Los Angeles reserves Brown and Steve Blake led the lengthy run, which included 10 straight points. The Bulls went more than 5 1/2 minutes between field goals late in their seventh straight loss to the Lakers.

Chicago got just one field goal and 10 points in the final 8:13, and the Lakers improved to 8-1 at home with their 13th win in 15 games to start the season.

Joakim Noah had 19 points and 13 rebounds for the Bulls, who dropped to 2-2 on their seven-game road trip while the circus occupies the United Center.

USC product Taj Gibson had 16 points and 12 rebounds, and Luol Deng scored 11 of his 13 points in the first quarter. Chicago still has won five of seven while getting off to its best start since coach Phil Jackson roamed the sideline in 1996.

Two nights after his historic 10-for-10 performance from the field, Pau Gasol managed just 12 points on 3-for-10 shooting and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, whose height advantage didn't bother Rose in the slightest.

The Lakers struggled all night to keep up with the star guard, who scored 27 points in the first three quarters with nonstop aggressive drives to the hoop.

But after Chicago took the lead early in the fourth quarter, Los Angeles responded with that lengthy run including two 3-pointers by Steve Blake and one apiece from Matt Barnes and Brown, turning an 81-79 deficit into a 96-83 lead with 4:27 left.

Brown found his groove early for the Lakers, hitting four 3-pointers in the first half when he wasn't attacking the rim with aggression. The athletic reserve guard has made a quantum leap forward this season, particularly after honing his steady jumper during the summer after re-signing with the Lakers at less than his probable market value so he could chase a third championship ring.

Rose was even better for the Bulls, getting 16 points and seven assists in the first half before scoring 11 more points in the third quarter. The Lakers double-teamed Rose from midcourt onward, yet he still penetrated the paint whenever he wished, causing a ripple of unease in Staples Center.

Two of the NBA's deepest teams are thriving without key players who will make them even deeper. Injured power forward Carlos Boozer watched the game from Chicago's bench. The Lakers are hoping Andrew Bynum will return early next month from offseason knee surgery.

NOTES: The Lakers held a moment of silence before the game for Lucas Anthony Tang, the 2-year-old boy who died Sunday night after falling from a third-level luxury suite at Staples Center. ... Fans near courtside included Rahm Emanuel, the Chicago mayoral candidate and former White House chief of staff, who sat with his brother, superagent Ari Emanuel, and actor Chris O'Donnell, a fellow Chicago-area native. Denzel Washington also attended the game.

Copyright 2010 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

POSTGAME QUOTES

Lakers coach Phil Jackson on his team holding the Bulls down to 18 points in the fourth quarter:
"No our defense I thought got a lot better. We got some stops and penetration, we got some turnovers and we got some rebounds."

Lakers coach Phil Jackson on Shannon Brown's first half tonight:
"He was remarkable. He had a trippy half to keep us in the ball game, things were going great for us."

Lakers coach Phil Jackson on Shannon Brown's performance this year compared to the last two years:
"Shannon had a little hesitation whether he should shoot or drive. He's got so much confidence right now. He's real comfortable in taking the shot…we're encouraging him to, when it feels right to shoot that ball. Otherwise, he's got such a great drive teams have to play back off him a little bit because of his speed."

Lakers coach Phil Jackson on Derrick Rose's performance tonight:
"He had a great third quarter. Some of that's a product, so much effort that has to be put in to try to drive and penetrate from a distance. He was getting the ball over half court and trying to drive it from a distance. I think he just probably was getting tired…but he showed his style tonight."

Lakers coach Phil Jackson on his small line up in the fourth quarter with Shannon Brown, Steve Blake, Matt Barnes and Kobe Bryant:
"We had such a success in the first half, and I felt that Lamar [Odom] needed a rest. He played great for us tonight but Lamar [Odom] looked tired, wasn't running the court really well there for awhile, and then we got some momentum with that group and I just stayed with it."

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant on his team's bench play tonight:
"The starters were ready to go, they were just playing well. I think it was a great call by Phil to leave them in."

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant on how the Bulls team looked:
"They look good. They execute well, they play with a lot of energy, they play hard, and you're still missing an All-Star [Carlos Boozer]."

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant on if Shannon Brown's high shooting efficiency has become expected:
"Yeah, I mean he's a great shooter, so when he has those open looks I expect them to go down. I don't think it's something where he's hot or anything like that. He's such a great shooter. If he's open he's going to make it."

Lakers guard Steve Blake on the bench's performance tonight:
"These guys are playing on a high level right now, night in and night out, on both sides of the court too. It's big for our team, it's big for me as a point guard when we're playing with guys like that, and we've got it rolling right now."

Lakers guard Steve Blake on keeping the Bulls to 18 points in the fourth quarter:
"I think we packed it in a little tighter. We didn't let them stand us out or start to get to that to start breaking us down. So I think it was a little bit of us, but at the same time they probably didn't play as well."

Lakers guard Steve Blake on Bull's Coach Tom Thibodeau commenting on the bench's performance tonight:
"That's cool to hear. You know if you have to focus a little bit more on us maybe that'll make the starters play a little better. I mean it's a total team game, we try to do our role, our role is to come in and play well. We've got great players out there at all times

Lakers forward Lamar Odom on Derrick Rose:
"He's so quick, he's so good. His court vision, his ability to tackle from different spots on the court. Just get in there, over the rim, stick to one side, stick to the other side. It's tough. He's really good, I got to watch him a lot this summer."

Lakers forward Lamar Odom on another guard in the league that requires as much defensive responsibility as Derrick Rose :
"I'd say he's the first, you know, cause it's kind of like quarterback when you get the ball first. Sometimes we play that way with Deron Williams as well. And he's their first option and he has to go first. Unlike, you think about, Westbrook he comes down, he's looking for Durant to shoot. Those guys are tough, so smart, crafty, such a young ball player."

Lakers guard Shannon Brown on the biggest difference between his play this year and last year:
"More comfortable, more comfortable with my game, the system [and] with the players. And really playing basketball like I know how, not worrying too much, and just trying to be a better basketball player."

Lakers guard Shannon Brown on the Bulls defense:
"They definitely have that Boston mentality with the coach over there. They try to load up, try to push you on the ground, they try to double team Kobe and make us do other things. They came out and played hard."

Chicago Bulls Coach Tom Thibodeau on the Lakers 3-point shooting:
"They put a lot of pressure on us. I thought they made the right plays and they shot the three extremely well and we were closing short. They have been shooting the three great all season. They got uncontested looks and they made them."

Chicago Bulls Coach Tom Thibodeau on the Lakers defense:
"The Lakers are a heck of a defensive team. You have got to make quick decisions against them. You got to move their size and then when you finish the game they're small and quick. I thought we settled sometimes. We settled too much for the jumper."

Chicago Bulls Coach Tom Thibodeau on Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol:
"Kobe puts a lot of pressure on you and Gasol as well. The thing about Gasol is he didn't have a big game but his post presence. You're worried about Kobe off the dribble and you're worried about Gasol in the post. You have to take care of both, and get out to the three point line."

Chicago Bulls Coach Tom Thibodeau on the Lakers bench of Barnes, Blake and Brown:
"He's been playing very, very well. I think they add a lot to the team. I think because experience, shooting, and they have quality back-ups at all the perimeter positions now. If someone is off a little bit or they're trying to buy some time. All three are very good defenders and I think sometimes that gets overlooked. I think Blake is an underrated defender. Shannon Brown has really come along way; he's turned into a heck of a defender and of course Barnes is a very good defender. They play unselfishly and they play hard."

Chicago Bulls Coach Tom Thibodeau on the play of Shannon Brown:
"I thought Shannon Brown played a great game for them. You're concerned with him in transition, but you're concerned with the way he's cutting right now. You have to stay on his body and you also can't allow him any spot up threes. He's shooting with a lot of confidence you can see it when he's raising up."

Chicago Bulls Coach Tom Thibodeau on his team's performance:
"On the road against a quality opponent you have to play 48 minutes and we didn't do that tonight."

Bulls forward Luol Deng on guarding Kobe Bryant:
"I just make everything tough for him. He's going to get his looks, he's going to get his numbers, but we wanted him to take a lot of shots to get to that number."

Bulls guard Derrick Rose on why the Lakers what he thought about tonight's game:
"They were hitting tough shots when they went small. A lot of players for them stepped up their game and were making some tough shots out there."

Bulls guard Derrick Rose on Shannon Brown's performance:
"He's shooting the ball well this year and he's got a lot of confidence. He's doing great for them. We should have made him a driver."

Bulls guard Derrick Rose on if he expected the Lakers bench to be this effective:
"Of course. Everybody in the league knows that their bench is like a transition team, where they get out in the open and try to shoot a lot of [three-pointers]. And they were hitting tonight."

Bulls forward Joakim Noah on his success against Pau Gasol tonight:
"He won the game, so that's the only thing that matters at this point. I feel like we played very hard tonight. We just got to look at the things that we can do better…It's always tough to lose but that's a very good team out there."

Bulls forward Joakim Noah on what was behind the Bulls 18-point fourth quarter performance:
"They been playing together for a long time now. They have a lot of experience. They know how to turn it up in the fourth quarter. These games are good for us because it tells us where we are exactly when you play against those top teams. It tells you where you are and if you can compete against them, and we feel like we can compete against anybody."

LAKERS VS. BULLS GAME PREVIEW

By JEFF BARTL, STATS Writer

The high-scoring Los Angeles Lakers have been overwhelming opponents during their current winning streak. They may need to continue that dominant play to keep their run intact against the surging Chicago Bulls.

The Lakers seek a fifth consecutive victory Tuesday night when they host the Bulls, who have been outstanding defensively in winning five of six.

Los Angeles' four straight wins have come by an average of 17.3 points, the most recent a 117-89 victory over Golden State on Sunday. Pau Gasol went 10 for 10 from the field and 8 for 8 from the free-throw line for 28 points, while adding nine rebounds and five assists.

He joined Charles Barkley and teammate Matt Barnes as the only players to have at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists without missing at least five shots from the field and free-throw line.

Barnes accomplished the feat Friday in a 112-95 victory over Minnesota with 24 points, seven rebounds and six assists while hitting all seven shots - five 3-pointers - and five free throws.

"Matt told me, 'Welcome to the club,'" Gasol said. "I said, 'Happy to be in there.' It's kind of weird that it happened that way. It's weird, but it's obviously a good sign."

The blowout of the Warriors allowed coach Phil Jackson to rest his starters in preparation for Chicago. Kobe Bryant, who scored 20 points, played just over 26 minutes and no one exceeded Gasol's 30:01 for the Lakers (12-2).

Los Angeles led 95-60 after three quarters.

"It's very important," Jackson told the team's official website. "(The starters) have that reserve (energy) to go to Tuesday night if they need it."

The Lakers lead the NBA with 112.5 points per game, but they may have a difficult time reaching that number against a Bulls team that has held seven of its 11 opponents to fewer than 100.

Chicago (7-4) has been particularly good during the past six games, allowing 92.7 points a contest.

The Bulls, three games into their annual six-game circus road trip, are coming off an 88-83 comeback victory over Dallas on Saturday.Joakim Noah scored 10 points and grabbed 17 rebounds for the Bulls, who held a 59-34 advantage on the boards.

"I can't go through the motions," Noah said. "I've got to keep going after the ball. We fought hard even when we were behind. We're not a team that gives up."

Chicago trailed by as many as 12 in the third quarter.

Taj Gibson, who shot 0-for-7 and went scoreless in Thursday's 103-94 loss to San Antonio, had 17 points and a career-high 18 rebounds.

"Coach knows I've been working on my jumper, but he said don't rely on jump shots," Gibson said. "Attack the glass and hit the boards. I've struggled the last two games so he challenged me."

The Bulls have lost four straight in Los Angeles and six in a row in the series. The Lakers have averaged 107.7 points in those six contests.

GAME NOTES

SEASON& SERIES NOTES; CONNECTIONS
The Lakers swept last season's series with the Bulls 2-0 for the third consecutive year. This will be the 138th meeting between the two teams with the Lakers leading the all-time series 83-54. The Lakers have gone 8-2 against the Bulls in their last 10 overall games and have won 8-of-9 contests against Chicago dating back to 2005. In Chicago, the Lakers have gone 6-4 in their last 10 games at the United Center against the Bulls but have won their last three straight. At STAPLES Center, the Lakers are 9-2 all-time against the Bulls and have won 7-of-their-last-8. Under head coach Phil Jackson, who coached in Chicago for nine seasons, the Lakers are 15-5 all-time against his former team, 8-2 in Los Angeles, 7-3 in Chicago. Lakers assistant coach Frank Hamblen spent three years as an assistant in Chicago and was a member of the 1997 and 1998 Bulls Championship teams. Assistant coach Jim Cleamons spent seven seasons as an assistant in Chicago and was a member of the 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1996 Bulls Championship teams. Lakers Special Assistant Coach Craig Hodges played four seasons with the Bulls and was a member of their 1991 and 1992 Championship teams. On November 18, 2007, the Lakers defeated the Bulls by 28 point, surpassing the old series record of 27 established back on February 18, 1968. One year earlier, the Lakers held the Bulls to a series-low 72 points November 19, 2006 at STAPLES Center. In 24 career games (20 starts) against Chicago, Kobe Bryant is averaging 24.9 points with high games of 43 in Los Angeles (11/20/05) and 42 in Chicago (12/15/09). Additionally, forward Ron Artest was drafted by the Bulls with the 16th overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, playing 2 1⁄2 seasons with Chicago and earning All-Rookie Second Team honors his rookie year. Guard Shannon Brown grew up just a few miles outside of Chicago, earning First Team Parade All-American, McDonald's All-American, Illinois Mr. Basketball and co-MVP of the Jordan Capital Classic (with LeBron James) as a senior at Provisio East HS in Maywood, IL. He played six games with the Bulls in 2008 after being acquired from Cleveland.

STRONG STARTS
With their victory November 21 vs. Golden State, the Lakers improved to 12-2, equaling the third best 14-game start to a season in franchise history. The Lakers opened both the 2008-09 and 2001-02 seasons 13-1. The '08-09 team extended its one-loss record to 14-1 while the '01-02 team improved to 16-1 before their second loss.

Phil Jackson led teams have now won at least 12 games before their third loss on six occasions, three times with the Chicago Bulls and three times with the Lakers – 2010-11: 12-2, 2008-09: 17-2 (14-1), 2001-02: 16-2 (16-1), 1996-97: 17-2 (17-1), 1995-96: 23-2, 1991-92: 15-2

With their loss at Denver on November 11th, the Lakers suffered their first defeat of the 2010-11 season. The loss snapped an 8-game win streak that was the team's longest to start a season since opening the 1987-88 season 8-0. Only once in franchise history had the Lakers started a season with a better mark, going a franchise-best 11-0 to open the 1997-98 campaign. The start was the second-best in head coach Phil Jackson's career, having opened the 1996-97 season with the Bulls 12-0.

GASOL'S PERFECT SHOOTING NIGHT
With 28 points, nine rebounds and five assists while shooting 10-for-10 from the field and 8-for-8 from the free throw line, Pau Gasol became just the third player in the NBA's shot clock era to record a perfect shooting night from the field and the line with at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists. The only other players to accomplish this rare feat are Gary Payton in January of 1995 (32 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists (14-14 FG, 3-3 FT)) and Charles Barkley in March of 1989 (31 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists (10-10 FG, 9-9 FT)). Additionally, Gasol became the fifth Laker in franchise history to convert at least 10 field goals without a miss in a single game and the first to do so since Byron Scott went 10-for-10 2/26/86 at Dallas. Wilt Chamberlain converted a franchise record 14-of-14 field goals without a miss 3/11/69 vs. Detroit with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (11-11 FG twice) and Mitch Kupchak (11-11 FG) rounding out the list.

BARNES JOINS BARKLEY FOR UNIQUE DISTINCTION
With 24 points, seven rebounds and six assists 11/19 at Minnesota on a perfect 7-of-7 from the field and 5-of-5 from the free throw line, Matt Barnes joined Charles Barkley as the only other player in NBA history to post a minimum 20-point, 5-rebound, 5-assist night while not missing a single shot, with a minimum of 5 field goal attempts AND 5 free throw attempts. Barkley posted 31 points, seven rebounds and six assists on a perfect 10-of-10 from the field and 9-of-9 from the free throw line in a 135-122 victory over the Spurs back on March 24, 1989 with the 76ers. Ironically, just one game later, Pau Gasol became the third player in NBA history to do so, posting 28 points, nine rebounds and five assists on 10-of-10 shooting from the field and 8-of-8 shooting from the foul line in the Lakers victory 11/21 vs. Golden State.

PERFECT NIGHT FOR BARNES
In the Lakers 112-95 victory 11/19 at Minnesota, Matt Barnes came off the bench to score 24 points on a perfect night from the field and free-throw line (7-7 FG, 5-5 3FG, 5-5 FT). Since the NBA instituted the three-point shot prior to the 1979-80 season, only two other bench players have been perfect from the free-throw line and from three- point range with at least five attempts in each category in the same game. New Jersey's Bostjan Nachbar shot 6-for-6 from three-point range and 5-for-5 from the free- throw line on 4/15/07 and Craig Ehlo shot 5-for-5 from three-point range and 7-for-7 from the charity stripe for Atlanta on 1/30/96.

SHUTTING IT DOWN EARLY
In the Lakers victory 11/17 at Detroit, Kobe Bryant scored 33 points despite sitting out the entire fourth quarter. The 33 points are the most Bryant has scored in a game in which he did not play in the fourth quarter or overtime since Feb. 23, 2007 against the Celtics. In that contest, Bryant scored 38 points before sitting out the entire fourth quarter. The most points Bryant has scored in a game in which he did not play the fourth quarter came on Dec. 20, 2005 when he posted 62 points in 33 minutes vs. Dallas (18-31 FG, 22-25 FT). Bryant established a franchise record for points in a quarter with 30 in the third of that contest, single-handedly outscoring the entire Mavericks team 62-61 through three quarters.

WIRE-TO-WIRE
With their 117-89 victory over Golden State on November 21st, the Lakers recorded their THIRD wire-to-wire win of the season as well as their second against the Warriors (10/31 vs. GS) this year. The Lakers other wire-to-wire victory came in a 124-105 win 11/2 vs. Memphis. Last year, the Lakers claimed NINE wire-to-wire victories (games in which they never trailed); seven during the regular season and two during the 2010 Playoffs (4/18 & 4/27 vs. Oklahoma City). During their previous championship run in 2008-09, the Lakers claimed 11 wire-to-wire victories; nine during the regular season and two during the 2009 Playoffs (4/29 vs. Utah & 5/17 vs. Houston). Last season, the Lakers also lost twice in wire-to-wire fashion (98-107 1/8/10 @ POR and 75-91 3/26/10 @ OKC).

IRON MAN
Entering the Lakers game vs. Chicago, Derek Fisher has played in 427 consecutive regular season games dating back to April 15, 2005, second among all active NBA players behind Portland's Andre Miller 626 consecutive games (began season at 612). Additionally, Fisher has started 305 consecutive regular season games dating back to January 15, 2007, tops among all active players by more than 40 games (2nd - Andre Iguodala). Former Laker A.C. Green holds the NBA record for most consecutive games played with 1,192 dating from 11/19/86 – 4/18/01 while a member of the Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat.

BACK-TO-BACK
This season, the Lakers are 2-0 in the first game and 2-0 in the second game of back-to-backs. On the year, the Lakers will play 15 sets of back-to-back games as opposed to the 20 they faced a season ago. The only other time the Lakers have played 15 or fewer sets of back-to-back games came in the team's first ever NBA season (1948-49) when they also played 15 sets of back-to-backs. Chicago, Milwaukee and Atlanta lead the league with 23 back-to-backs each in 2010-11 while Oklahoma City (17), Phoenix (16) and the Lakers (15) will play the fewest sets this season.