Chicago Bulls Snap Losing Streak Behind 24 Points From Pau Gasol

In what has been an inconsistent start to the year, the Chicago Bulls almost let another lead slip away, but their two best players ensured that didn’t happen. Pau Gasol led all scorers with 24 and Derrick Rose added 11 as the Bulls held on to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 83-80.

“We have an opportunity here to do something special,” Gasol said. “I would hate if we would throw it away ourselves.” The Spaniard also hit a career-high three shots from behind the arc.

Chicago looked to be in control when Clippers big man Blake Griffin was ejected for a flagrant foul in the third quarter. He fell for a head fake from Taj Gibson and caught the Bull in the head trying to block the shot.

“I wasn’t trying to hit him in the face,” Griffin said. “There was no intent to hurt, or intent to even really hit him. I was going to try to hit the ball and he pump faked me.” Gibson would call Griffin a “great guy” after the game and insisted the foul was “no big thing.”

After Gibson’s two free throws gave Chicago a 16-point lead, the Clippers came roaring back to tie the game with seven minutes remaining.

But the Bulls, who have been prone to blowing leads this season, hung tough. Rose, who disgarded his face mask at half time, scored nine of his 11 points in the fourth quarter to close out the game.

“I want to play like this every night,” he said. “We have to play with this consistency. We have to play with this urge and energy every night.”

 

Photo: Pau Gasol #16 of the Chicago Bulls shoots agaist Tim Duncan #21 of the San Antonio Spurs at the United Center on November 30, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois.