game losing streak with a 112-106 victory Saturday night o

Chicago, IL (SportsNetwork.com) - Pau Gasol faced his former team for the first time, but a showdown with Kobe Bryant will have to wait. Gasol had 23 points and 13 rebounds as the Chicago Bulls routed the Los Angeles Lakers 113-93 on Christmas Day. Gasol signed with the Bulls during the offseason after spending his previous six-plus seasons with the Lakers, winning a pair of NBA titles. It was weird, difficult at first to get going, Gasol admitted. Once you start playing, youre just playing the best game you can. The 36-year-old Bryant cited old age and sore knees as his reasons for sitting out Thursday nights game against Chicago during a pregame session with reporters. The team is struggling right now and its difficult to see him struggle, Gasol said of Bryant and the Lakers. The game in LA will probably be a little more emotional than this one. Gasol will return to Staples Center to play the Lakers on Jan. 29. Jimmy Butler posted 21 points, six rebounds and five assists, while Derrick Rose added 20 points and six assists for Chicago, which has won five straight and eight of its last nine games. Wesley Johnson supplied 19 points and nine boards and Ed Davis provided 13 points and 14 rebounds for the Lakers, who have dropped four of their last five contests. Butlers turnaround fadeaway in the waning seconds of the first half staked Chicago to a 58-47 halftime advantage, but an 11-2 Lakers run to start the second half got them within a basket. Jordan Hill had six points during the surge, which was capped on a Johnson layup to trim the margin to 60-58. The Bulls pulled away during the latter stages of the third and early portion of the fourth with an 11-3 burst. Taj Gibson split a pair of foul shots to finish off the swing and give the Bulls a 92-80 spread. Chicago cruised to the easy win from there. Earlier, the Bulls led 27-24 following a quarter of play and outscored LA 31-23 in the second. Game Notes Gasol signed a three-year, $22 million contract with Chicago during the offseason ... It wouldve been Bryants NBA-record 16th Christmas Day game had he suited up. He came in averaging 30.4 points over his last nine Christmas games ... LA turned the ball over just four times, but was outrebounded 57-39. Cheap NFL Jerseys Paypal . However, the 38-year-old is in no hurry to sign with another team. "Im not in a rush. This will be my last contract, so I want to do it right," said Burris on Thursday. Wholesale NFL Jerseys Authentic . In the opening game of his fourth-round match at the U.S. Open, the owner of 17 major titles got passed at the net twice, sailed a backhand long, then missed two forehands to get broken. http://www.wholesalenfljerseyssupplycheap.com/ . The Suns termed Fridays surgery by team doctor Thomas Carter a success. No timetable was given for Bledsoes return but the team said in a news release that he "will pursue a possible return to action during the second half" of the season. Wholesale Jerseys Cheap . Kevin Martin and Kevin Love paced the Timberwolves like they do so often. Martin had 27 points with some key baskets down the stretch, Love had his usual double-double, and the Timberwolves snapped a three-game losing streak with a 112-106 victory Saturday night over the suddenly slipping Dallas Mavericks. Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys . I wondered how NHL coaches would feel about a playoff schedule that allowed them to open a best-of-seven series on the road, which many claim to favour, yet still gave them the precious home-ice edge for a seventh game.HONG KONG -- Top-seeded Sabine Lisicki of Germany advanced to the quarterfinals of the Hong Kong Open by beating Grace Min of the United States 6-1, 6-1 Tuesday. Lisicki will next face Zheng Saisai of China. Zheng defeated sixth-seeded Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium 6-4, 6-2. Also, Jarmila Gajdosova of Australia defeated Kiiki Bertens of the Netherlands 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, and Francesca Schiavone of Italy advanced when Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm retired from the match while trailing 6-3, 4-0.dddddddddddd. Second-seeded Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia moved into the second round by beating Ling Zhang of Hong Kong 6-1, 6-4. ' ' '