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Chicago Bulls shoot poorly in loss to Lakers

The Chicago Bulls' first game at the United Center in 18 days was no work of art.

Players on both teams missed shots, dropped the ball and generally moved around like they were playing the eighth overtime on back-to-back nights.

The Los Angeles Lakers played in New Orleans the previous night and were missing two starters, so they at least had an excuse. There was no explaining why the Bulls were so bad, losing 96-90 on Wednesday night.

Jimmy Butler led the Bulls with 22 points but hit just 4 of 18 shots from the field. He drilled a tying 3-pointer with 1:30 remaining but air-balled an open 3-pointer when the Bulls trailed by 3 with 16 seconds left. As a team, the Bulls shot 35 percent.

"It's just one of those nights," Butler said. "You take shots that you normally make. If you continue to take them, they're going to fall. We're all right. I think we guarded. I don't like the outcome of the game, but I like the shots that we took."

Dwyane Wade was listed as doubtful to play earlier in the day because of a dental issue, but he ended up playing 30 minutes and scoring 17 points.

This was one of those games where a team would poke the ball away, lose control of it immediately, then get it back again in the span of a few seconds. Players on both sides forced ridiculous shots and bricked easy ones. The Lakers had 20 turnovers by the end of the third quarter, while the Bulls sent the visitors to the foul line 41 times.

"They deserved that win," Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said of the Lakers. "It goes to show you, if you don't go out there and play with energy, you're not going to give yourself a chance. We lost momentum, lost the pace, lost our flow. I thought they were the more physical team in general, all across the board."

The Bulls (10-7) went 0-for-8 from 3-point range in the first half before Rajon Rondo knocked down a pair in the third quarter. Usually, when Rondo is hitting his outside shot, it's a good sign for the Bulls. When he's the only guy hitting outside shots, it's trouble.

"You're going to have nights when that ball doesn't go in the basket," Hoiberg said. "But you've still got to do the little things. You've still got to rebound, you've still got to go after loose balls. You've got to get on the floor, you've got to get dirty, you've got to get nasty."

The Lakers' usual starting guards, D'Angelo Russell and Nick Young, were sidelined by knee or leg injuries. The Bulls got off to a nice start, leading 28-14 late in the first quarter, but the Lakers came back to tie the score at 47-47 by halftime.

Every good play was followed by three or four bad ones. Wade finished a fastbreak dunk off a pass from Gibson to put the Bulls ahead 87-86 with 3:25 left. Then Jordan Clarkson's baseline jumper put the Lakers up, and Gibson fouled out a few seconds later while chasing an offensive rebound.

Trailing by 3, Butler tied the score by hitting a 3-pointer after an offensive rebound by Wade with 1:30 left. The Lakers made it 92-90 when Julius Randle hit a driving bank against Nikola Mirotic. After Butler missed a jumper, Lou Williams split a pair of free throws with 20.1 seconds on the clock.

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