Jan. 29--LOS ANGELES -- Plenty of story lines surrounded the Bulls-Lakers game Thursday night at Staples Center.
Pau Gasol's first game in Los Angeles against the team with which he won two championships. A Lakers team tying to avoid its Los Angeles-franchise record of 10 straight losses the day after Kobe Bryant underwent season-ending surgery. Carlos Boozer facing his former team. Continued reports of Tom Thibodeau's frayed relationship with Bulls' management.
But in typical Thibodeau fashion, he focused only on the game, saying he expects Jimmy Butler back from Butler's one-game absence due to illness. Mike Dunleavy, who has missed 14 straight games to a right ankle injury, is a gametime decision.
"I'm not getting into any of that stuff," Thibodeau said, when asked about his relationship with management. "I'm just worried about what we have to do. I'm not going to comment on all this rumor stuff and all that nonsense. Just get ready for the next game."
The Bulls are tied with the Hawks for the league lead with 17 road victories. They opened this six-game trip with an impressive overtime victory over the Warriors, ending Golden State's 19-game home win streak.
Derrick Rose sank the game-winning shot in that victory and is averaging 20.4 points in January, his best month.
"The way I've been playing, the confidence I've been playing with, it's been actually fun to play in these games," Rose said. "So I can't worry about accolades that come with playing right now, all the individual awards and all that. I'm not worried about that. It's all about winning games and being healthy."
