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Final Score
Lakers 24-23-30-16 — 93
Bulls 27-31-25-30 — 113
4th Quarter
The Chicago Bulls defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 113-93 in the league’s 4th game on Christmas day.
Chicago flipped the switch in the 4th Quarter to pull away for the victory. After closely contested 1st and 3rd quarters, including a quarter where the Bulls defense gave up an uncharacteristic 30 points, the 4th quarter treated the team more kindly as they outscored the Lakers 30-16 in the final period. The Bulls offensive outbursts came in the 2nd and 4th quarters respectively.
Chicago’s “Big Three” this season has been Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler and Pau Gasol in terms of scoring the basketball. Each scored at least 20 points in what eventually turned out to be a blowout victory for the Bulls. Their win moves them to 7-5 in the United Center this season and 20-9 overall.
.@kobebryant sitting on the bench tonight. Can the @Lakers beat the @chicagobulls without #BlackMamba? #NBAXmas http://t.co/N6NR8jSZr9
Wesley Johnson led the Lakers in scoring with 19 points in the absence of Kobe Bryant, who is currently day-to-day with a case of the getting old. Los Angeles dropped to 9-20 on the season.
The Lakers Put in a Strong Effort in the 3rd Quarter
Bulls lead Lakers 83-77 heading into 4th quarter.
Lakers are 2-16 this season when trailing after 3 quarters.
The Lakers’ effort was strong, but they still trailed 83-77 heading into the 4th quarter.
The Bulls defense was nonexistent in the 3rd quarter. The Lakers were able to run-and-gun down the court and put up one of their most efficient quarters of the entire season scoring 30 points against a sound Chicago defense.
Through three, Gasol led all players with 22 points, and Butler was right behind with 19.
The Bulls Balance Built Their Lead Up To 11
The Bulls had an easier time on offense in the 2nd quarter.
The Bulls were led by balanced scoring in the 1st-half — Rose, Butler and Gasol each had 11. Toronto Raptors castoff Ed Davis led the Lakers with eight.
The Kobe-less Lakers Hung Tough in the 1st Quarter
Kobe Bryant is out tonight for the Lakers. Here’s why the Lakers might be better off without him http://t.co/NJKQAspxQn
The Lakers without their superstar Kobe Bryant only trailed by three after a quarter. Both Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler each led the way with seven points in the first stanza.
Their records are nearly identical except flip-flopped. The Los Angeles Lakers enter the game 9-19, but probably with more wins than anybody had anticipated for them at this point. That’s all thanks to Kobe Bryant and Nick “Swaggy P” Young’s scoring abilities. Bryant is 3rd in the league with 24.6 points-per-game.
The Bulls enter the game 19-9have a healthy Derrick Rose in the lineup, however, there is no telling how long that will last. Rose scored 25 in a win vs. the Wizards on Tuesday night. Pau Gasol has done his best to tap into the fountain of youth and provide a stable, veteran front-court scoring presence next to Taj Gibson.
The Bulls’ perimeter defense, led by Jimmy Butler, should be able to neutralize and stop the Lakers scoring threats.
