|
 The Los Angeles Clippers showed them just how ugly that life could
be.
Jared Dudley scored a season-high 21 points, Chris Paul added 16
points and 17 assists, and the Clippers jumped all over the Bulls in
Rose's absence for a 121-82 victory Sunday.
J.J. Redick scored 19 points and Blake Griffin had 15 points and 12
rebounds in the Pacific Division-leading Clippers' seventh win in
nine games.
This was no ordinary blowout, either: The Clippers' 39-point margin
of victory was the largest in franchise history.
The Clippers figured Rose's latest injury was weighing on the Bulls'
minds. Los Angeles led for all but the first two minutes, and even
the reserves surged ahead by 42 points in the fourth quarter.
"We jumped on them so quickly that I thought it had to have had a
mental effect," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. "You don't lose a D.
Rose. ... We came out and played unbelievable, and I just thought
the mental part of that had to be difficult. Very few teams could
have fought through that."
Luol Deng scored 22 points as the Bulls flopped in their first game
since Rose tore cartilage in his right knee Friday night in
Portland.
Carlos Boozer and Mike Dunleavy scored 14 points apiece, but the
Bulls couldn't keep up defensively with the Clippers — and the
Chicago reserves fell apart while getting outscored 25-9 in the
fourth quarter.
"It's tough for all of us with Derrick being out like this," said
Joakim Noah, who had eight points. "We're just hoping for the best
with him, and see how it goes. Derrick is a big part of this team. I
know how hard he rehabbed this whole time to be on the court."
Kirk Hinrich had nine points and seven assists while starting in
place of Rose, who missed last season after tearing a ligament in
his left knee. Rose played in just 10 games before getting hurt
again, but the Bulls are hoping he won't be out as long this time.
"We've done it before," Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau said, noting
Rose has missed much of the past two seasons since his 2011 MVP
campaign.
"This is year No. 3 now, so we've got experience doing it," he
added. "But we've got to get the fight. That's the first part of it
— the determination, the fight and the will. The core of the team in
there is the same core we had last year."
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While Chicago foundered, Los Angeles finished
strong in a stretch of four games in five days, surpassing a
pair of 37-point wins by the Buffalo Braves during the late
1970s for the biggest margin of victory in franchise history.
The Clippers played back-to-back afternoon home games this
weekend, an occasional hazard of sharing a building with the
Lakers and the NHL's Kings. But a day after blowing a 20-point
lead in a victory over Sacramento, the Clippers showed little
fatigue from their packed schedule — and the starters got the
fourth quarter off as a reward.
"It's the best game this season, we got the opportunity to sit
all quarter," Paul said. "That's huge for our team. This was our
fourth game in five nights. We could have come in with a lot of
excuses, but we did what we were supposed to do."
Los Angeles got out to an early double-digit lead with sharp
perimeter shooting from Redick and Dudley, who combined for 29
points in the first half. The Clippers got remarkable
performances from the two new additions to their starting
lineup, with Dudley and Redick combining to make 16 of their 21
shots.
Dudley had the most impressive game of his first season with the
Clippers, hitting four 3-pointers while passing his previous
season high for points shortly after halftime. Redick was
similarly sharp, providing the consistent perimeter scoring Los
Angeles sought with his arrival.
"When they're hitting shots like that, man ... " Griffin said.
"Even when they're not, the pressure they put on a defense is
great. That contributes to the whole offense."
Antawn Jamison finally made his Clippers debut in their 15th
game, hitting a 3-pointer in the third quarter for his first
basket of his 16th NBA season. Jamison, who moved down the
hallway from the Lakers in the offseason, finished with 11
points in 17 minutes.
NOTES: The Clippers surpassed their 33-point victory over the
Bulls on Feb. 17, 1981, back when the club played in San Diego.
... Chicago has lost three straight to the Clippers. ... Marquis
Teague, designated by Thibodeau as Hinrich's new backup, went
scoreless with one assist in 20 minutes. ... DeAndre Jordan
didn't attempt a shot until Paul found him with a half-court lob
for a dramatic dunk with 3:41 left in the third quarter.
[Associated
Press; GREG BEACHAM, AP Sports Writer]
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