It was an impressive showing against (arguably) the best team in the league after a series of blow-out losses. But, ultimately, a loss is still a loss and the Chicago Bulls lost again last night, falling to the Los Angeles Lakers 96-87. Down by six at the half, the Bulls fought their way back to actually take the lead by the end of the third only to see the Lakers sprint past them on a 13-4 run to open the fourth. While Kobe's 42 point performance was the talk of the game, Derrick Rose and Luol Deng both had great performances for the Bulls, each scoring 21 points, and Joakim Noah scored 11 and pulled down 20 rebounds. But still, it was the team's 11th loss in their last 13 games. If there's any silver lining, it's that both wins came at home (where the team is 2-4 this month) and have the next three games in the comfort of the United Center. On the other hand, we'll be watching the sports-ticker closely on Christmas Eve to see if the holiday tradition of firing the team's coach continues. The Bulls next welcome in the similarly struggling Knicks on Thursday (7 p.m., CSN). more ›

Blackhawks Scorch Flames more ›

The 'Hawks snapped a three-game skid and earned their second shoot-out win of the year, beating the Coyotes 3-2 to start their lengthy road trip. Kris Versteeg and Patrick Sharp scored goals a minute apart at the end of the first period to put the Blackhawks up 2-0, but the Coyotes managed a goal in each of the remaining periods to force overtime. Nikolai Khabibulin made 36 saves in all, including two in the shootout, to help the 'Hawks hold on for the win; Sharp and Jonathan Toews scored in the shoot-out for Chicago. While it's a long road trip for the team, Sharp seemed optimistic about it, saying, "It's good for us to get out on the road. We like playing at the United Center, but it's good to be around each other quite a bit and build some chemistry." more ›

Seems Chicagoist wasn't the only one who found the lopsided terms of the Pau Gasol trade a bit fishy. With outrage and confusion growing in Memphis, the Grizzlies owner pointed his finger firmly at ... the Bulls! Wha?! more ›

Bulls GM John Paxson is having about as much luck these days as fellow Jerry Reinsdorf employee Kenny Williams. While the Sox have been unable to add a marquee center fielder to their roster, the Bulls keep keep coming up short when trying to land a player who can be the centerpiece of their franchise. more ›

You know it's a slow sports week in town when columnists from the big newspapers start sounding like the drunk guy at the corner bar yelling at the TV during the game, certain he could assemble a better team than the one that management has put together. So who is their target? In his column today Mike Downey follows Jay Mariotti in demanding that the Bulls need to trade for Kobe Bryant. There has been... more ›

Since we first discussed Kobe Bryant's unhappiness with the L.A. Lakers and the possibility that he could seek a trade to the Bulls, the rumors have persisted as his relationship with the Lakers continues to deteriorate. more ›

Seattlest has a talk with the photographer from last week's "Segway Mom" and then experiences some dissension in the ranks over the question of wine vs. beer. It's not West Side Story, but about as close as they'll get. They're also still waiting on some inbox relief after a spammer is arrested. As Chicagoist counts down the days to its third anniversary party, they found all-organic pizza to be underwhelming amidst the hoopla, tried... more ›

The sports media has been abuzz since ESPN's Ric Bucher reported that L.A. Laker guard Kobe Bryant suggested during an interview that he wanted to be traded if the Lakers didn't lure former GM Jerry West back to the organization. A day later, Kobe refuted that assertion, but the rumor mills continue to swirl about whether the Lakers' prima donna wants out. more ›

It's that time of year when the 'Hawks and Bulls are evicted from the United Center by the tigers and elephants, along with the clowns and the rest of the Ringling Bros. Circus. more ›

Overshadowed by MJ during most of his tenure with the Bulls, Scottie Pippen nonetheless established himself as one of the greats of the NBA. During his career, he was a 7-time All Star and 8-time All Defensive First Team player. He averaged almost 20 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists per game while with the Bulls, winning 6 NBA titles along the way. All these resulted in his inclusion on the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players of All-Time list announced in 1996. more ›

The Bulls welcome the Orlando Magic to the United Center tonight, their first home game in over two weeks. They concluded their annual "Circus Trip" on Sunday, when they beat the Houston Rockets 94-89. That win pulled the Bulls record on the West Coast swing to an even 3-3. more ›

Before there was Wilt Chaimberlain, Bill Russell or Shaquille O'Neal there was George Mikan. The NBA's first dominant center and superstar, Mikan died last night at 80. Mikan was born and raised in Joliet, IL before enrolling at DePaul. He didn't play high school basketball, but legendary coach Ray Meyer -- then in his first year coaching -- took the 6'10" giant under his wing and taught him the game. He became so dominant at... more ›

At the outset of the NBA season, Chicagoist fearlessly predicted that the Bulls would make the playoffs. Surely, many we were questioning how the Bulls might reach the 37 victories we predicted. Especially when the team started 0-9. But now we don't look so wrong, do we? more ›

In case you have already given up on the Bulls this season following their 0-9 start (tied for worst in franchise history), don't look now but we may have another dynasty on our hands. The Bulls have won two of their last three games! more ›

Bulls management sure can! Only after the team was eliminated from the Kobe Bryant sweepstakes on Monday did word get out that the Bulls were serious contenders. more ›

While fans of the Lakers, Timberwolves, Pacers and Pistons are busy following their teams' march towards the NBA Finals, the Chicago Bulls fans gear up for their seventh consecutive trip to the NBA Draft Lottery, held Wednesday night in Secaucus, New Jersey. more ›