Gasol leads Bulls over former Lakers teammates

Pau Gasol didn't get to go head-to-head with good friend and former teammate Kobe Bryant on Christmas Day as planned. He had a pretty nice Thursday nonetheless.

Gasol led the Chicago Bulls to a 113-93 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, the first time Gasol's faced his former team since leaving as a free agent this summer. Gasol shot 9-of-14 from the floor, scoring a game-high 23 points with 13 rebounds, three assists and a pair of blocked shots.

While it's surely sweet to beat your former team, Bryant's absence - he sat for a second straight game to rest some lingering, nondescript soreness - probably took a little something away from it. Bryant was sure to keep it friendly, even in a loss viewed from the bench, embracing the man he reportedly begged to stay in L.A. after the game.

"Obviously I miss Kobe, I don't get to see him that much now," Gasol said after the game, "but he's like a brother to me and I wish him the best."

Gasol's hot start to the season continues, with the big Spaniard pushing his averages to 18.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and two blocks. The win also pushes the Bulls to 20-9, the inverse of the lowly Lakers' record and a minor marvel consider the injuries they've dealt with to start the year.

Jimmy Butler maintained his run of hot play, dropping 21 points, six rebounds and five assists, while Derrick Rose continued to gain momentum with 20 points, six assists and one magic trick.

The Lakers hung tough until early in the fourth quarter, but unlike Tuesday when they won without him, they missed Bryant's scoring ability. They shot just 39.1 percent as a team, hit only five threes and had to rely on Wesley Johnson (6-of-18 for 19 points) as a primary weapon. 

The Lakers, one of the league's marquee franchises and a Christmas Day staple, are now 21-20 on Dec. 25, while the Bulls improve to 12-7.