Gasol scores 24 in debut, Lakers top Bulls 108-93

[November 20, 2009]  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Pau Gasol had 24 points and 13 rebounds in his season debut, and Kobe Bryant scored 21 points while passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the Lakers' career scoring chart in Los Angeles' 108-93 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night.

Ron Artest added 15 points for the Lakers, who finally had their full starting lineup intact for their ninth victory in 12 games to start the season. The defending NBA champions had little trouble with the Bulls, opening a 20-point lead in the third quarter before beating them for the eighth time in nine meetings.

Derrick Rose had 20 points and John Salmons scored all 18 of his points in the first half for the Bulls, who lost on the second stop of a taxing six-game road trip.

Gasol missed the Lakers' first 11 games with a right hamstring injury, but the Spanish forward appeared fully healthy in his first appearance since early in the preseason. Gasol scored 10 of the Lakers' first 13 points, moving easily on his injured leg while playing 34 minutes.

Bryant clearly took a back seat to Gasol early on in a 7-for-21 shooting night, but still added nine rebounds and eight assists. And two days after Bryant posted his 100th career 40-point game, he reached yet another milestone.

With a free throw in the third quarter, Bryant passed Abdul-Jabbar (24,276) for second place on the Lakers' career scoring list, leaving him trailing only Jerry West (25,192).

Although Bryant's shot was off early, he scored 11 points in the second quarter to put Los Angeles up 53-42 at halftime. Rose's 2-for-11 shooting in the first half slowed down the Bulls, who had won two straight.

Six Lakers scored in double figures, including 12 for Derek Fisher.

Before beating Sacramento on Tuesday, the Bulls were 9-56 since Michael Jordan's departure on the annual fall road trip made necessary by the circus occupying the United Center around Thanksgiving. Chicago still must stop in Denver, Portland, Utah and Milwaukee before getting home in December.

Gasol played in just two preseason games before sitting down with a hamstring injury that didn't appear to improve much with rest. He wondered aloud whether his hectic schedule over the past two years -- including a summer with an NBA title run and a tournament MVP award at the European championships in Poland during September -- had worn down his body.

Gasol tipped in Andrew Bynum's missed layup on the Lakers' first possession and hit two free throws the next time down. Gasol got the ball in the high post on the third possession and fed it to Bynum down low, illustrating the versatility of the triangle offense -- which used to be called the triple post, Lakers coach Phil Jackson noted before the game.

NOTES: Bulls F Taj Gibson worked out with his former teammates at USC on Wednesday, Chicago coach Vinny Del Negro said. The rookie starter had four points and seven rebounds against the Lakers. ... Lamar Odom and Chicago's Kirk Hinrich exchanged insults after a hard foul by Hinrich in the third quarter. ... California first lady Maria Shriver attended the game.

[Associated Press; By GREG BEACHAM]

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