Bulls' defense won't rest vs. Bryant

Kobe Bryant spent Wednesday at an Orange County courthouse, reporting for jury duty.

According to local reports, Bryant made it into a courtroom and was questioned by a judge. At one point, he was asked his profession and replied, "Professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers."

The judge responded by saying, "Go Lakers."

A Bulls-friendly judge might have assigned Bryant to a trial and sequestered the jury. That would force the Lakers star to miss tonight's visit to the United Center, the start of a seven-game road trip for coach Phil Jackson's team.

As it turned out, the lawyers decided that having one of the world's most famous athletes sitting on their jury wasn't a good idea and Bryant was dismissed. The only damages were a missed practice and postponement of the Lakers' team picture.

The Bulls and Lakers haven't met since Nov. 18 in Los Angeles, when Bryant scored a relatively mild 21 points, while the Bulls couldn't contain big men Pau Gasol (34 points) and Andrew Bynum (18 points) in a 116-109 loss.

The dynamic will be slightly different tonight. Bynum has been out since Jan. 31 with a knee injury (there is hope he'll be back for the playoffs). The Bulls will have guard Kirk Hinrich, who was sidelined by thumb surgery during the first contest. There is no such thing as a "Kobe-stopper," but Hinrich is the Bulls' best perimeter defender by a wide margin.

"I feel like I definitely can help our team defensively," Hinrich said. "As far as Kobe, you just kind of hope he misses shots. I think it's pretty much that simple."

Forward John Salmons has already guarded Bryant three times this season as a member of the Sacramento Kings. They also matched up in high school summer-league games in Philadelphia roughly 14 years ago.

"He always makes you bring your best effort because he can embarrass you out there," Salmons said.

Coach Vinny Del Negro offered strong praise for Bryant following Friday's practice at the Berto Center and described an Italian connection to the high-scoring guard. Bryant basically grew up in Italy, and Del Negro played against Bryant's father, Joe, during a short stint in the Italian league between college and the NBA.

"I'm a fan of guys who work hard and prepare," Del Negro said. "People think guys just roll out of bed and they're Kobe Bryant or LeBron James. Those guys work. Those guys are in the weight room, they're leaders, they get after it in practice. When the game's on the line, they want the basketball."

With a victory tonight, the Bulls would record their first four-game winning streak in two years. The talk in Laker-land, meanwhile, has focused on the team's sluggish play and lack of contributions from the reserves.

The Lakers are 6-4 in their last 10 games. Before hitting the road, they squandered double-figure leads in three straight home games, though they only lost one of those, on a 3-pointer at the buzzer by Philadelphia's Andre Iguodala. Jackson called the Lakers' state of mind a "malaise."

Another goal for the Bulls is notching a victory over all four of the NBA's best teams. They've already beaten Cleveland, Orlando and Boston at home.

"I feel like we've got a little bit of momentum," Hinrich said. "It's important that we keep that and continue playing at the same level as we get closer and closer to the playoffs."

Bull horns: Forward Linton Johnson was signed to a second 10-day contract. ... Tim Thomas was excused from Friday's practice due to a family issue. ... The Bulls have launched a Web site to promote Derrick Rose for rookie of the year. Check it out at www.DRoseROY.com.

Bulls vs. Los Angeles Lakers at the United Center, 7:30 p.m.

TV: Channel 9

Radio: WMVP 1000-AM

Update: This is the first stop on a seven-game road trip for the Lakers (54-14), who own the league's best road record at 23-9. Kobe Bryant ranks third in the league in scoring at 27.7 ppg. but had a relatively quiet 21 points when the Lakers beat the Bulls 116-109 on Nov. 18 at the Staples Center. The Bulls couldn't stop PF Pau Gasol (34 points) or C Andrew Bynum (18 points) that night. Bynum has been out since Jan. 31 with a knee injury.

Next: Washington Wizards at the Verizon Center, 6 p.m. Monday