CHICAGO - There was no getting around it for Pau Gasol, no denying this was one strange and emotional night.He put those feelings aside and delivered another strong performance.Gasol had 23 points and 13 rebounds against his former team, and the Chicago Bulls beat Los Angeles 113-93 on Thursday with Lakers star Kobe Bryant resting his sore body.Its weird. Obviously, its an emotional game because you find yourself on the opposite side of the team that you played for for so many years and weve been through so much, Gasol said.He helped Bryant lead the Lakers to two championships during his six-plus seasons in Los Angeles. Gasol left for Chicago in the summer, hoping to make another run at a title, despite Bryants pleas to stay. And on nights like these, its not hard to envision the Bulls advancing in the playoffs.Jimmy Butler scored 21 points, and Derrick Rose added 20 points and six assists to help the Bulls win their season-high fifth straight.With Bryant missing his second straight game, the Lakers were unable to pull off another upset. They stunned Golden State on Tuesday night but came up short against the Central division leaders.The Bulls hung on after a 16-point second-quarter lead dwindled to two in the third. Chicago outscored the Lakers 30-16 in the fourth, sending them to their fourth loss in five games.Gasol was 9 of 14 from the field in his first game against Los Angeles as a Bull.Nikola Mirotic and Aaron Brooks each came off the bench to score 13 points, and the Bulls outrebounded the Lakers 57-39.It didnt hurt that Bryant was watching from the sideline in a dark red jacket even if the Lakers were coming off a big victory without him.Carlos Boozer scored 14 points and got booed in his return to Chicago, as he often did during his four seasons with the Bulls. The Bulls used the amnesty clause to cut him last summer and create the salary-cap space to bring in Gasol and add depth to the roster.It was weird playing against them, Boozer said. They were like my brothers out there, but at some point you have to put the emotions and feeling aside and try to win a basketball game.Wesley Johnson led Los Angeles with 19 points. Ed Davis added 13 points and 14 rebounds. Jordan Hill finished with 16 points, but the Lakers shot about 39 per cent overall and went 5 of 16 from 3-point range.They will likely have to go without Bryant again when they visit Dallas on Friday night.Bryant said his knees Achilles tendons, feet and back were all bothering him, and it is unlikely he will play against the Mavericks.The 36-year-old Bryant, in his 19th NBA season, entered Thursday third in the league in scoring at 24.6 points per game. He passed Michael Jordan for third place on the career scoring list Dec. 14 at Minnesota.Hes like a brother to me, said Gasol, who spent a few hours with Bryant on Wednesday.The Bulls looked as if they were on their way to an easy victory up 16 in the second, but an 11-point halftime lead quickly shrunk to two when Los Angeles started the third on an 11-2 run. Chicago was up 81-77 in the closing seconds when Gasol drove for a layup to start a 10-2 run that bumped it back up to 12 early in the fourth.I think that right now there is a belief, a lot more than there was a couple of weeks ago, Joakim Noah said. As a player, theres nothing better than that belief that when were on and were competing nobody can mess with us. Thats the feeling were starting to get.TIP-INSLakers: Bryant said Jordan had a simple message after he passed him on the NBAs scoring list. Go get Karl, Bryant said referring to Karl Malone. The former Utah great is second with 36,928 points. Bryant has 32,365.Bryant on passing Jordan on the NBAs scoring list: It was more of a thankful feeling to Michael and the players came before because Ive learned so much from them. And I dont say that lightly. Ive literally just stole (stuff) from them — like spin moves and pull-ups. Its not me passing these players. Its us. Ive literally taken things from their games and made them my own.Bulls: G Kirk Hinrich missed his second straight game because of tendinitis in his left knee and remains day to day.UP NEXTLakers: Visit Dallas on Friday night.Bulls: Play New Orleans at home on Saturday night. LeSean McCoy Womens Jersey . Fourteen players were suspended last summer by Major League Baseball as part of the Biogenesis drug scandal, ranging from All-Stars to also-rans. Doug Flutie Jersey . - Canadian tennis star Eugenie Bouchard has signed with WME-IMG, saying the sports management powerhouse will help maximize the value of my brand. http://www.authenticbillsfanaticfootball.com/authentic-bruce-smith-bills-jersey/ . Pistorius denied the allegation that he said to the close friend of the girlfriend he killed: "How can you sleep at night?" The accusation by Kim Myers provided a bizarre twist during the trial of the world-famous double-amputee Olympian, who is facing 25 years to life in prison if convicted of premeditated murder for shooting dead Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model, at his home last year. Ed Oliver Womens Jersey . While Chelsea stayed two points behind leader Arsenal courtesy of Etoos hat trick, seventh-place United slipped 14 points from the summit this weekend. And the gap from the Champions League places is growing as well, with Liverpool six points ahead in fourth. O. J. Simpson Womens Jersey . Its been a successful Games for Canada, which will finish near the top of the medal standings again. From repeat gold medal winners to multiple medal winners to undefeated teams to acts that define the Olympic spirit, there are many solid candidates who could be considered to receive the honour.EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France -- Mika Miyazato of Japan shot a 6-under 65 Friday to take the lead after the rain-delayed first round of the Evian Championship, which was shortened to 54 holes after Thursdays play was washed out. Third-ranked Suzann Pettersen of Norway bogeyed the last hole to fall one shot behind Miyazato, along with Hall of Famer Se Ri Pak of South Korea and Sandra Gal of Germany. The 23-year-old Miyazato is looking for her first LPGA title this year, while Pettersen is in form after winning the Safeway Classic for the second time in three years earlier this month -- her 12th Tour victory. "The best part was my putting, because I (had) 25 putt(s) today," Miyazato said. "I think (it is) my best finish this year." Pettersen had a chance to take the outright lead when her long birdie putt on the 18th hole hit the lip and rolled out, and she then missed an easy par. Play was called off after less than an hour on Thursday due to heavy rain with the scores annulled, but it was sunny all day Friday at the tournament that is making its debut as the fifth and final major of the year. That did not help top-ranked Inbee Park, whose bid to make golfing history got off to a bad start with a 3-over 74. The South Korean is seeking to become the first professional golfer to win four majors in a season. The 25-year-old Park double bogeyed the second hole and capped off a frustrating day with a bogey on the 18th. She will have an even harder challenge now after the LPGA announced late Friday that it has decided to cut the tournament to 54 holes, having initially hoped to complete the 72 rounds by playing two rounds on Sunday, when rain is also forecast. There will be a 36-hole cut of the top 70 and ties. But countrywoman Pak, who won the last of herr five majors at the LPGA Championship in 2006, feels confident of challenging for another after improving her wayward putting.dddddddddddd The 35-year-old said "a bit of a lesson" from her father last week helped set her straight -- literally. "He knows me (better) than anybody," she said. "I was bending my upper body too much and at the same time my arms were too rounded." American Christina Kim is two shots behind Miyazato in fifth place, and one shot ahead of teen star Lydia Ko, American Michelle Wie, and Australians Carrie Webb and Lindsey Wright. Pak is 19 years older than Ko, the amateur from New Zealand who successfully defended her Canadian Womens Open title last month. Pak made an even bigger impact in her first season as a professional in 1998 as the first two trophies of her career were both majors -- the LPGA and the U.S. Womens Open -- and she sees huge potential in Ko. "When you play with the teenagers, they dont know much about the game, how to control the games. They just play golf, one day is a good day, one day is a bad day, very up and down," Pak said. "But she looks like she has her own game already, only 16 years old but she knew how to play, how to control." No. 2-ranked Stacy Lewis, the only other player to win a major this year at the British Open last month, finished four shots back from Miyazato. The course, built into the mountains in Evian-les-Bains overlooking the shores of Lake Geneva, is regarded as one of the best on the tour. Over the past year, architects have undertaken a multimillion redesign focusing mainly on the four-hole finishing stretch. Formerly a reachable par-5, the 18th is now a par-4 and the new par-3 16th hole is played over water to a pitched green. ' ' '