In spite missing superstar Kobe Bryant, Thursday's Christmas Day game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls remained a big draw to TV viewers, as Turner Sports announced that the game drew 3.9 million total viewers, making it the highest rated Christmas Day primetime game in Cable Histoy.
The figure came as a surprise to many primarily because the Lakers are currently having one of the worst seasons in franchise history with a 9-19 record. Moreover, Head coach Byron Scott decided to give Bryant a night off for the second consecutive game, leaving the Lakers without its leading scorer and perennial All-Star.
The Bulls might have found a way to demolish the Lakers in the fourth quarter but the first three periods of the game was nevertheless entertaining with Derrick Rose and former Lakers Pau Gasol electrifying the crowd at the United Center.
Aside from the Bulls vs. Lakers game success, Turner Sports also announced that TNT's primetime double-header on Christmas Day gained a whopping 94 percent jump over the last time TNT aired a primetime double-header game on the same day. The Los Angeles Clippers and the Golden State Warriors capped the five-game Christmas Day specials.
"Last night's @NBAonTNT doubleheader was up 94% over '08, the last time TNT aired primetime doubleheader on Christmas," via Turner Sports PR.
Bulls 113, Lakers 93 - Recap
After pulling off a Holiday Miracle against the Golden State Warriors at home, the Los Angeles Lakers got a large pile of coal after absorbing a 113-93 beating at the hands of Eastern Conference powerhouse Chicago Bulls at the United Center.
For the second straight game, Lakers head coach Byron Scott decided to give superstar Kobe Bryant a day off. But unlike Tuesday's 115-105 surprise win against the NBA's best Warriors, Scott's Mamba-less experiment didn't pan out well against a very loaded Bulls team.
After conceding an 11-point lead to the Bulls at the end of the first-half, the Lakers came through with an 11-2 run to put them two points behind, 58-60, at 9:52 mark of the third quarter.
However, the Bulls defense started to make driving lanes tighter for the Lakers, while Jimmy Butler and Pau Gasol teamed up to steamroll Chicago's offense. And in the fourth quarter, former NBA MVP Derrick Rose once again delivered the goods at crunch time, scoring seven points in the last three minutes to keep the Lakers at bay for good.
Butler finished the game with 21 points, 5 assists and 6 rebounds while Rose recorded 20 points and 6 dimes. Gasol tallied 23 points and 13 rebounds against his former team, albeit without his friend Kobe Bryant, who was pulled out of the lineup hours before the Bulls-Lakers Christmas Day special.
Wesley Johnson led way with 19 points and Jordan Hill tallied 16 points in 31 minutes of playing time for the Lakers, who now dropped to 9-20 in the season.
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