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Bulls take road success to Los Angeles

Jan 29, 2015 - 3:12 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Chicago Bulls are one of the top road teams in the NBA and look to keep that reputation going Thursday against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center.

The Bulls kicked off a six-game journey with a major test against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday and passed with a 113-111 overtime victory, ending the Warriors' franchise-record 19-game home winning streak.

Derrick Rose hit a go-ahead jumper with seven seconds left in overtime and finished with 30 points. He was just 13-of-33 from the floor and turned the ball over a career-high 11 times to go with one assist.

"I was just trying to do anything to win," Rose said. "I knew Jimmy (Butler) was going to be out. Just trying to take on that load."

Butler, Chicago's leading scorer, missed the contest due to an illness and is questionable Thursday, while Pau Gasol supplied 18 points and 16 rebounds. Joakim Noah added a double-double of his own with 18 points and 15 boards for the Bulls, who made 42.9 percent for the game and had a 61-48 rebounding advantage.

The Bulls survived with 21 turnovers to win for the third time in the last four tries. They have 17 road wins this season (17-6), tied with the sizzling Atlanta Hawks for the most road victories in the NBA.

Chicago still has trips to Phoenix, Houston, New Orleans and Orlando remaining on this sojourn.

Los Angeles is mired in a nine-game losing streak and will close out a three- game homestand Thursday.

The Lakers' woes continued with Tuesday's 98-92 loss to the Washington Wizards and Wayne Ellington's career-high 28 points on 12-of-20 shooting wasn't enough. Jordan Clarkson and Ed Davis scored 18 and 14 points, respectively, for LA, which has dropped five in a row at home and has a 6-17 record there.

Los Angeles, which blew a 19-point advantage, was held to 19 points in the third quarter and recorded a season-low 35 points in the second half. Ellington scored 20 points in the first half.

"I thought defensively they just started getting up in us, then there was a stretch in the third quarter where we just couldn't make a shot. That was basically the game," Lakers coach Byron Scott said.

The Lakers will head east this weekend to start a four-game road trip against New York, Milwaukee, Orlando and Cleveland. Lakers guard Nick Young (ankle) is questionable Thursday.

Lakers future Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant underwent successful surgery on a torn labrum in his right shoulder on Wednesday and is done for the season. The procedure, performed by Drs. Neal ElAttrache and Steve Lombardo, lasted two hours.

"I expect Kobe to make a full recovery and if all goes as expected, he should be ready for the start of the season," said ElAttrache, who also noted recovery time will be approximately nine months.

Bryant averaged 22.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 35 games this season. It's the third straight year Bryant has endured a season-ending injury, after a torn Achilles in April 2013 and a broken bone in his knee last season.

Los Angeles lost at Chicago, 113-93, on Christmas Day, as Gasol posted 23 points and 13 rebounds. Butler and Rose scored 21 and 20 points, respectively, and Wesley Johnson paced LA with 19 points.

The Bulls have won three in a row and six of the last seven meetings with the Lakers.