The Chicago Bulls returned to the court Sunday for the first time since Derrick Rose's latest knee injury, and the results weren't pretty. The Bulls were stomped by the Los Angeles Clippers, 121-82, capping off a woeful weekend Chicago. The margin of victory was the largest in Clippers history.
NBA scores 2013: Clippers blow out Derrick Rose-less Bulls, Nets lose again
Things weren’t good for the Bulls in their first game without Derrick Rose, the Nets still stink and all the rest of Sunday’s NBA action.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Spor
The Clippers put forth an incredible offensive performance against a normally stout Bulls defense, shooting 58.5 percent from the floor and racking up 32 assists. Chris Paul had 17 of those assists in 27 brilliant minutes, also pouring in 16 points. Jared Dudley and J.J. Redick combined to score 40 points on 16-of-21 shooting. The two also hooked up on this sweet play:
The Bulls' offense actually kept them in it early on, scoring 52 points in the first half. But Chicago simply couldn't hang, and their offense fell off a cliff in the second half. Luol Deng scored 22 points, with much of his damage coming at the free throw line.
While the Bulls looked really bad in the loss, the greater concern is Rose’s health. The star point guard is set to undergo surgery on Monday, and there’s a chance he could miss the rest of the season.
Detroit Pistons 109, Brooklyn Nets 97
Things just keep getting worse and worse for Brooklyn, who now sit at 3-10 after a loss to Detroit. It appeared the Nets may actually notch a victory after a strong first half, but a wretched third quarter turned the tide in the Pistons’ favor.
Rodney Stuckey had 27 points off the bench to lead Detroit. Greg Monroe notched a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Brandon Jennings also had a double-double despite shooting just 2-of-10 from the field.
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Plus, four other players blossoming into superstars, why it's too early to give up on Kevin Garnett and the games we're most excited to watch this week. The Nets lost their fifth straight game despite getting a monster performance from Joe Johnson, who scored 34 points and hit eight three-pointers. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett struggled once again, a theme this entire season. Deron Williams, Brook Lopez, Andrei Kirilenko and Jason Terry all sat out with injuries.
Oklahoma City Thunder 95, Utah Jazz 73
The Thunder gave Russell Westbrook the night off to rest, and it mattered not as they cruised to an easy win over a really bad Jazz team. Kevin Durant led a balanced Thunder scoring effort with 19 points.
Durant scored his 19 points on only nine shots, going 12-of-13 from the charity stripe. Serge Ibaka had a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Reggie Jackson had 10 points and seven assists in place of Westbrook.
Not a single Jazz starer reached double figures in scoring. Rudy Gobert and Enes Kanter had 10 points apiece for Utah, who trailed at one point by 37.
Phoenix Suns 104, Orlando Magic 96
With Eric Bledsoe still sidelined, the Suns rode Goran Dragic to a victory over Orlando. Dragic had 23 points and 13 assists in the win.
Gerald Green also had a big game in Bledsoe's place, scoring 20 points, grabbing eight rebounds and throwing down one ridiculous dunk:
The Morris twins both had solid games off the bench, with Marcus scoring 16 points and Markieff tallying 12.
Nikola Vucevic had 20 points and 10 rebounds for Orlando. The Magic have lost four in a row.
Los Angeles Lakers 100, Sacramento Kings 86
Pau Gasol and Jordan Hill both had double-doubles to get the Lakers to .500 with a win over Sacramento. Xavier Henry scored a game-high 21 points.
The Lakers led nearly the entire game, building up a seven-point lead at halftime and holding off a Kings charge early in the second half. Los Angeles went into the fourth quarter up 12 and cruised to victory.
Greivis Vasquez had 20 points to lead Sacramento. Ben McLemore had 15 points and also did this:
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