Finally – a game Chicago Bulls fans can be pleased with, even if coach Tom Thibodeau isn’t.

Led by a spectacular effort from reigning MVP Derrick Rose, the Bulls on Friday knocked off Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers, 114-101, to close out what this die-hard fan is calling a wildly successful four-game West Coast road trip to open the season.

As expected, the Clippers provided some great highlight reel material with impressive dunks by Griffin – what a move to open the game! – and DeAndre Jordan, but Rose stole the show, and in a pretty big way. He finished with 29 points, 16 assists and eight rebounds, and generally did exactly what a point guard is supposed to do – get everyone involved and make them better.

And involved they were. All five Bulls starters finished in double figures, and all five had at least five rebounds and one assist. Luol Deng turned in his usual 19-point, 8-rebound performance, Joakim Noah had 19 and eight, and Rip Hamilton, looking smoother every game, chipped in with 16 points, five rebounds and a pair of assists.

It was the second straight game the Bulls showed across the board improvement after looking rough and ragged in an opening season win over the Los Angeles Lakers and an ugly loss to the Golden State Warriors. Ball movement was crisp and clean (29 assists on 39 buckets), turnovers (12) were down, the Bulls dominated the boards (45-31), and the D, while allowing the Clippers to shoot .51 percent from the field, made another baby-step forward.

The successful road trip should help soothe fans who were growing anxious after the team’s subpar showings to open the season, and it puts the Bulls in a great position to turn a sluggish start into something more.

Last season, the Bulls lost three of their first four road games, then five of their first nine, en route to compiling a 9-8 overall mark. And then boom!, things really took off, the team won 14 of its next 16 games and never looked back. In other words, it took the team about 17 games to find its rhythm, and they played roughly .500 ball while doing so.

This season, the Bulls have already won three of their first four road games, and the upcoming schedule is not overly intimidating (although they do play seven of the first nine on the road). The way I see it, the Bulls could be, say, 12-5 or even 13-4 through its first 17 games. How huge would that be in a 66-game season?

Sure, there are plenty areas that still need improved – just ask Thibs, there always will be – but this fan will take a .750 winning percentage on any road trip, let alone a West Coast road trip to open the season.

Notes: Rose made Paul’s 15 points, 14 assists and four steals seem somewhat pedestrian….. Noah said Rose’s showing was “one of the best performances I’ve ever been a part of.”….. Speaking of Jo, it was good to see him hitting the offensive boards (5), getting put backs and drawing fouls (10 of 11 from the line)….. The Bench Mob had 21 points and 10 rebounds to just 11 points and five rebounds from their counterparts….. Ronnie Brewer is now 7-for-7 from the field with three threes the past two games….. Rose and Deng both played 42 minutes; don’t know how sustainability that is this early in such a compressed season….. Someone should tell Griffin that chest pounding after a dunk – when your team is down by 13 – just isn’t cool.

Sources: Chicago Bulls at LA Clippers box score, ESPN; Bulls pull away in 4th to beat Clippers 114-101, Associated Press/Yahoo! Sports; Bulls finish 3-1 trip with 114-101 win, Chicago Tribune.

YCN featured sports contributor Steve Merritt is – for better or worse – a lifelong Chicago Bulls, Bears and Cubs fan. He’s followed the Bulls since 1969, when he tuned in after bedtime on a cheap dime store radio tucked under his pillow.

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LOS ANGELES (AP)

With Derrick Rose attacking, the court opened up for the rest of the Chicago Bulls. They hit their shots and Rose did just about everything else to help his team wrap up a successful season-opening West Coast trip.

Rose had 29 points and 16 assists, and the Bulls pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 114-101 Friday night.

”I just wanted to win. That was the biggest thing,” he said. ”It was a lot of hype because this was their first home game.”

Luol Deng and Joakim Noah added 19 points apiece and Richard Hamilton had 16 for the Bulls against their former coach, Vinny Del Negro.

”Derrick is just a handful and we all know that,” said Del Negro, who coached Rose his first two seasons in Chicago. ”I didn’t think we ganged up on him enough. He got too many free throws, but he also hit some tough shots in the fourth quarter, stepping behind the line and hitting some 3s. And when he does that, it puts a lot more pressure on you.”

Blake Griffin had 34 points and 13 rebounds for the Clippers, who kept it close most of the way coming off a 25-point loss at San Antonio. Caron Butler added 16 points and Chris Paul had 15 points and 14 assists in his matchup against Rose, the NBA’s MVP last season.

”We were up to the challenge, and we were capable (of winning),” Griffin said. ”But we’ve got 63 more, so we’ll be all right. We’re going to win games, but we’ve got to get better defensively. I’ve got to do a better job with my shot selection and knock down those jumpers.”

The Clippers, who outshot the Bulls and outscored them in the paint, got within three early in the fourth quarter on a 3-pointer by rookie Trey Thompkins.

Then the Bulls took over.

Ronnie Brewer hit a 3-pointer and made two free throws before Rose made two free throws, then Deng hit a 3-pointer from in front of the Clippers’ bench to give Chicago a 97-84 lead.

”It makes me feel good knowing that I have shooters,” Rose said. ”Everybody was hitting the shots they were supposed to hit. That is the difference this year. We’re way better (offensively).”

Griffin singlehandedly fueled the Clippers’ offense with eight straight points that included a ferocious dunk in which he walked away with his fists clenched and his teeth gritted. Still, it left his team trailing by eight points with less than five minutes to play.

The Bulls effectively used 3-pointers to keep the Clippers at bay in the fourth, when they hit four, including two by Rose.

”They were getting to the rim, kicking out, doing a good job of finding guys for corner 3s, and they had guys spotting up on the perimeter,” Griffin said. ”So we’ve got to do a better job of helping and getting out and contesting those 3s. I can live with contested 3s, but not wide-open ones.”

The Bulls finished their trip with a 3-1 mark, losing at Golden State. Rose was disgusted with his effort in the eight-point loss on Monday.

”The last two games he’s been very, very aggressive and our team has played with a lot of force offensively,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. ”Derrick showed a good resolve.”

Chicago moved out to a seven-point lead in the third quarter, when the Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan picked up his fourth foul and was forced to sit down for more than eight minutes. He finished with 10 points.

”I guess I can’t play that aggressive,” he said.

Mo Williams and Butler hit consecutive 3-pointers as part of a 13-6 run that helped the Clippers tie the game at 77. But the Bulls answered with six straight points while the Clippers missed their final five shots to lead 83-77 going into the fourth. Deng had 10 points in the quarter.

The Bulls closed on a 10-2 run, including four straight by Noah, to lead 57-52 at halftime. The first two quarters were mostly back and forth, with the Clippers leading by eight in the first 12 minutes.

Griffin and Paul took to the court before tipoff to thank the fans for their support, with Griffin saying, ”We’re going to try to make this a season you won’t forget.”

Los Angeles opened with a bang, making its first six shots, with Paul feeding Griffin for a two-handed dunk on the Clippers’ first basket. Jordan had the crowd roaring with his one-handed dunk off a ball tossed toward the basket by Butler.

Notes: The Clippers fell to 5-8 in home openers at Staples Center. … Rose heard chants of ”MVP” when he was at the free throw line. ”It’s great, especially when you’re on the road,” he said. … Paul has yet to beat Rose in five career games. His previous four losses came when Paul played for New Orleans. … Clippers PA announcer David Courtney introduced Williams as Chauncey Billups during pregame intros. Billups was the first player introduced and he sat out with a sore right groin. … Boxer Floyd Mayweather attended the game.

After a lackluster performance against Golden State, the Chicago Bulls pulled it together and beat the Sacramento Kings 108-98 on Thursday, Dec. 29.

The team showed a lot of depth; Rip Hamilton appeared more comfortable and they looked like they’re finding their groove in this very new season.

The Bulls got on the board with a jump shot by Carlos Boozer and the team took a 19-5 lead by the 5:36 mark. The Kings tightened the game but the Bulls maintained the lead. The first quarter ended with a Bulls 30-24 advantage.

Chicago would lead for the entire game.

In the second quarter, the Bulls got into foul trouble but stayed ahead. The bench mob entered and advanced the team’s lead to 15 points at 7:29. The Bulls entered halftime ahead, 60-53.

After halftime adjustments, Sacramento returned in the third quarter and made it a two-point game at 9:35. They had success at the foul line and kept on the Bulls. Rose stepped out but the team held onto its lead.

Entering the final quarter 85-75, the Bulls stayed consistent even as Rose again briefly left at the 7:46 mark due to foul problems. Joakim Noah soon followed with his own foul issues.

The Bulls had a 10-point lead and kept it that way thanks to good defensive play.

Once again the bench mob excelled with solid play by C.J. Watson. Pinch hitting for Rose because of fouls, Watson played for 16 minutes and added eight points, nine assists and five rebounds.

The Bulls shot 54 percent, helping them with the win. Grabbing an early lead and keeping it was also important to the game. They were 6 for 12 in three-pointers and had 18 turnovers.

Scoring…Rose led in scoring with 19 points and eight assists. It was a team effort with Boozer contributing 16 points and 15 rebounds. Hamilton had a good game, adding 16 points.

Ronnie Brewer and Luol Deng each scored 12 points.

Next up for the Bulls is their final game of a four-game road series. They play the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday, Dec. 30.

As a lifelong Bulls fan and Chicago resident, it’s great to see the Bulls playing well again.

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The Sacramento Kings lost their second straight game to fall to 1-2 on the season. The Chicago Bulls defeated Sacramento at home by the score of 108-98. The two losses have been disappointing after the team started strong with an opening game victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. The team has still played well and shown the potential that they have this season.

Sacramento was again led by shooting guard Marcus Thornton who led the team with 20 points. It’s become evident that if this team is going to win, Thornton is going to have to play well.

One of the biggest difficulties for Sacramento was the lack of depth on the frontcourt. Both starting big men, DeMarcus Cousins and Chuck Hayes, fouled out in the game. Cousins had his third double-double in three games but only made four out of 16 shots in the game. Fans have to enjoy seeing Cousins rebound better so far but will still have to live with the up and down play of the young center.

Jimmer Fredette had his best game on the young season. Fredette finished with 14 points and three assists in the game. He made five out of 10 shots on the game and made two three point baskets. It will be exciting to see just how good Jimmer will get this season. Watching the first three games has made it evident that Jimmer will only get better and will be a major contributor before the season is over.

Troubling for fans has been the start of Tyreke Evans so far. Evans finished with 19 points but had just two rebounds and two assists in the game. He also made just five out of 12 free throw attempts. Evans will need to play much better than he has to start the season if Sacramento is going to be successful this year. As the point guard, he is the key to the offense and needs to become more of a leader this season.

The best thing about the start to the season for Sacramento fans has been the excitement surrounding the team. Fans are excited that the team is improved and about the new players on the team. Both home games have sold out so far and this is a big improvement over the crowds the team played in front of last season. Hopefully the team will begin to play more consistent and more victories will come with it.

Kyle Rapoza is a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network and a lifelong fan of the Sacramento Kings. He started going to Kings games at age six and has attended hundreds of games since. Follow him on twitter @kyler11.

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On Sunday, Dec. 25 the Chicago Bulls opened the season against the Los Angeles Lakers with an 88-87 victory.

The game came down to the final seconds with Derrick Rose once again showing why he was the league’s MVP last season and someone who deserved his recent contract extension.

With the Bulls trailing by 11 points, they rallied within the last four minutes for the win.

In the first quarter, the Lakers jumped on the board first and initially kept it tight. After seeing an eight-point lead, they surrendered it and the Bulls ended the quarter leading 22-20.

For the second quarter, the Bench Mob kicked things off before the starters slowly returned. The teams continued to exchange leads but the Bulls moved ahead to enter halftime with a 56-49 advantage.

They maintained their lead through the third quarter until the 5:18 mark when the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant tied it at 63. The lead went back and forth with Los Angeles closing the quarter with a 69-68 lead.

During the fourth quarter, the Lakers extended their lead to11. With less than four minutes remaining, the Bulls really lacked energy but started to claw their way back with defense and shots. Rose kicked off the comeback with a basket, followed by Luol Deng’s dunk. He also got hot on the free throw line.

With 20 seconds remaining, it was a one-point game. Deng stole the ball from Bryant and Rose hit the game-winning shot with four seconds left. Bryant quickly launched one last shot but again, Deng came through and blocked it.

It was game over for this Christmas miracle.

Scoring…Rose led the team in scoring on Sunday with 22 points and five assists followed by game MVP Deng with 21 points and seven rebounds. Carlos Boozer added 15 points.

New Bulls teammate Rip Hamilton is finding his way within the team’s chemistry. On Sunday, he scored six points in his first start.

At times he looked frustrated, but he should be a great and much-needed addition.

Next up for the Bulls is a Monday, Dec. 26 game against Golden State.

As a lifelong Bulls fan and Chicago local, it’s good to have the Bulls back.

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