After winning despite playing poorly in Cleveland Wednesday night, the Bulls overcame an early thirteen point hole and beat the Los Angeles Lakers for the first time in four seasons 88-84.The win increased the Bulls current winning streak to four. The Lakers had won seven straight from the Bulls including a November 23 game at Staples Center. L.A. got off to a quick start while the Bulls were flat.Lamar Odom,who scored eight of his eighteen points in the opening quarter,rebounded a Kobe Bryant miss to give the two time defending champs a 22-9 lead-helped by a 12-0 run early,and it was 22-12 after the first twelve minutes. But the Bulls dominated the second quarter to get back in the game.The Bulls went on their own 12-2 run to tied the game up 32-32 on a Joakim Noah rebound hoop. A pair of Derrick Rose hoops gave the Bulls a 36-32 halftime edge. The lead changed hands six times in the third quarter,but Rose nailed a three point basket with 3;23 remaining in the third quarter to give the Bulls a 52-49 lead,the they led the rest of the game.The Bulls outscored the Lakers 17-9 to lead 66-58 after the third period. The Bulls(13-8) led by as much as a dozen in the third quarter,but L.A.(16-7) got back into the game and closed to within three with 14.9 seconds left thanks to one of two three throws by Bryant who finished with 23,but he was just just 9-23 from the floor. Rose led all scorers with 29 and handed out 9 assists. Carlos Boozer scored 10 and grabbed 11 rebounds while Noah scored 9 and had the same amount of boards.
NOTES—The sellout crowd was 22,760…..The Bulls were 8-17 from behind the three point arc(Rose and Kyle Korver each hitting three and Luol Deng a pair), while the Lakers were just 3-13…..The Bulls host Minnesota Saturday night.
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