|
 Guard Jimmy Butler scored 22 points and forward Taj Gibson added
20, and the short-handed Bulls defeated the Los Angeles Clippers
105-89 at Staples Center.
Defense and a dominating third-quarter run allowed the Bulls to roll
and pleased a vocal contingent of Bulls fans in the City of Angels.
"Just the will to win," said Butler, who also had eight assists and
six rebounds. "We want to win as many games as possible. Backs
against the wall, we weren't supposed to win. We play hard. We
guarded and rebounded. That was the key."
Despite playing without injured forward/center Pau Gasol (left calf
strain) and point guard Derrick Rose (sore left hamstring), Chicago
(8-3) snapped a four-game losing streak to Los Angeles (5-4). The
Bulls are 6-0 on the road this season.
Butler said the Bulls never doubted they could beat the Clippers
without two of their big guns.
"We have a team full of NBA players, just like every other team
does," Butler said. "So, when somebody goes down, the next guy has
to step up. I think we're as good as anybody."
Forward Mike Dunleavy finished with 19 points for Chicago, while
guard Kirk Hinrich chipped in 14 points. Center Joakim Noah scored
11 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and dished out six assists.
"We were all disappointed in with our last game, so I thought we
came in with a great edge, great concentration," Bulls coach Tom
Thibodeau said, referring to Chicago's 99-90 loss to the Indiana
Pacers on Saturday. "Everyone played well. I thought the defense was
good, and I thought the rebounding was good. Sharing the ball. Just
being tough-minded. That's what you've got to do."
Guard Jamal Crawford led the Clippers with 24 points. Forward Blake
Griffin scored 19 points and pulled down 10 rebounds, but he managed
just six points in the second half. Griffin also committed five of
the Clippers' 12 turnovers.
"It really started in the second quarter," Griffin said of the
Bulls' comeback. "They just trusted each other and trusted their
offense. You could see with the way they were moving the ball. They
were having fun."
The Bulls led 89-71 after a layup by Noah with 8:09 remaining in the
game. A 12-2 spurt by the Clippers cut the gap to 91-83 after
Griffin scored inside with 4:47 left. Los Angeles closed within
seven on a basket by center DeAndre Jordan with four minutes left,
but a three-point play by Butler and a 3-pointer by Dunleavy pushed
the lead back to double digits. The Clippers never recovered.
"We knew it was going to be a tough game," said Noah, who made five
of eight shots from the floor. "They have a lot of talent out there,
but I think from the start we just competed really hard. I think
that's what it's all about, just competing.
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"We didn't get frustrated when they went up or when they went on
their run. We just kept competing, and usually the team that
competes the hardest wins."
Los Angeles held a 46-32 advantage after a bucket by point guard
Chris Paul with 3:44 remaining in the second quarter. However, the
Bulls went on a 16-4 run to end the half, capped by a three-point
play by Butler to cut the Clippers' lead to 50-48 at the break.
In the third quarter, Chicago dictated, racing out to a 69-60 lead
after two free throws by Butler with 4:36 left. The Bulls outscored
the Clippers 31-14 in the quarter for a 79-64 cushion heading into
the fourth quarter. Chicago hit 57.1 percent of its shots in the
third compared to 29.4 percent for Los Angeles.
"I don't remember a big turn like that for a while since I have been
in the league," said Paul, who finished with 12 points and seven
assists. "It happened quick."
On the night, the Bulls shot 48.8 percent and the Clippers hit 44.4
percent. Los Angeles also made just 10 of its 22 foul shots.
NOTES: Los Angeles G Chris Paul continues to build on his impressive
start in assists and turnovers. Paul is the only NBA player to
record 80 assists and commit only 12 miscues in his team's first
eight games. The league began tracking turnovers in 1977. ... The
Clippers swept the two-game series last season. They earned a 121-82
blowout in Los Angeles on Nov. 24 and a 112-95 rout Jan. 24 in
Chicago. ... The clubs will meet again in Chicago on March 1, 2015.
... The Bulls resume their seven-game road swing Thursday against
the Sacramento Kings. ... Los Angeles embarks on a seven-game trip
beginning Wednesday in Orlando against the Magic.
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