LOS ANGELES – There had to be a measure of sympathy for the Chicago Bulls, who arrived at Staples Center on Sunday morning in a collective haze. Think of the Clippers without Chris Paul; that's how the Bulls are looking at the remainder of their season.
The loss of point guard Derrick Rose, who is out indefinitely after tearing cartilage in his right knee Friday night in Portland, leaves the Bulls rudderless. But to have to play a Clippers team that is hot offensively and improving defensively almost didn't seem fair.
In some ways, the Clippers' 121-82 rout of the Bulls was almost predictable. The 39-point margin of victory set a Clippers franchise record, and six players scored in double figures.
It was an understandable letdown for the Bulls, who sent Rose home to Chicago to undergo surgery Monday. Clippers coach Doc Rivers said before the game he didn't think the Bulls would feel the effects of Rose's loss for a while, but it was immediate.
"We jumped on them so quickly that I thought it had to have a mental effect," Rivers said. "We came out and played unbelievable, and I just thought that the mental part of that had to be difficult (for Chicago). Very few teams could have fought through that."
The Clippers, finishing up a stretch of four games in five days, including back-to-back afternoon games, responded with one of their more complete games this season. They shot 58.5 percent for the game, held the Bulls to 39.5 percent and limited Chicago to just 30 points in the second half.
In fact, the Bulls scored only nine points in the fourth quarter – four in the first 9 minutes, 43 seconds of the period.
"We know what our defense is capable of," said Paul, who had 16 points and 17 assists. "We've been saying it for a while. Some nights it doesn't look like it, but we know where we want to be. When one guy was beat, another guy got help, so I think this is the blueprint for us."
The Clippers' primary contributors on offense were Jared Dudley, who scored a season-high 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting, and J.J. Redick, who was 8 of 11 for 19 points. Antawn Jamison, who sat out the team's first 14 games, made his season debut and scored 11 points in 13 minutes.
"I was happy for Antawn," Paul said. "I play with him a lot in practice and have watched him over the years. He's one of those guys who's just a pro. He works out every day. He's going to be ready when the coach calls his name.”
In fact, every player had his name called. All 12 in uniform played and scored, and the Bulls simply didn't have enough to combat the Clippers' formidable defense.
"When we dig in and really want to, we're tough defensively and offensively," Blake Griffin said. "When we run the offense like we were taught and play defense like we've been taught, we're much, much tougher.”
Their effort came on a bad day for the Bulls, who must now forge ahead while Rose, who missed virtually all of last season because of a torn ACL in his left knee, begins his long road to recovery.
"We have an understanding of what we need to be," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "We can’t feel sorry for ourselves. We have to circle the wagons and get the job done."
Sunday was a tough way to start.
