Gasol scores 24 as Lakers top Bulls 108-93

It didn't take long to notice a difference in Derrick Rose.

He promised reporters Wednesday that he wouldn't cut his hair until he started playing more like he did as a rookie. Rose usually keeps his hair closely cropped, but it actually covered his entire head Thursday when the Bulls battled the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center.

"I'm playing terrible," he said. "I'm not going to the hole the way I used to. It seems like, to me, I'm not that aggressive, but that's going to change. I know that I'm going to have to be aggressive from now on."

The pledge to be aggressive was apparent as the game began, as Rose pushed the ball quickly up the court and unleashed several fearless drives to the basket. But he hit just 2 of 11 shots in the first half, with several point-blank layup attempts rolling off the rim.

Rose recovered to hit 7 shots in a row in the second half and finished with 20 points, but it was too little, too late as the Bulls lost to the Lakers 108-93. The visitors fell behind by 11 at halftime and never made much of a run.

In the meantime, the Bulls had the misfortune of greeting Lakers all-star forward Pau Gasol. He made his season debut Thursday after returning from a hamstring injury and didn't show much rust, finishing with 24 points and 13 rebounds. Gasol scored 10 points in the opening seven minutes.

The Lakers didn't even need much help from Kobe Bryant. The league's leading scorer finished with 21 points and hit 7 of 21 shots. The Lakers enjoyed a 60-40 edge in points in the paint, taking full advantage of their size inside.

John Salmons was the one player who had it going offensively for the Bulls in the first half, pouring in 18 points. But he went scoreless in the second half.

Luol Deng managed just 6 points against Lakers newcomer Ron Artest. Thursday marked the fifth anniversary of the infamous brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills, which began with Artest going into the stands to confront a Pistons fan who had thrown a cup of beer. Artest played for the Indiana Pacers at the time.

Bulls center Joakim Noah kept up his league-leading rebounding pace and recorded his sixth straight double-double with 15 boards and 12 points. Brad Miller contributed 15 points off the bench.

The Bulls have two days off before getting a rematch with Denver on Saturday. The Bulls lost to the Nuggets at the United Center last week when Miller's apparent game-winning jumper was waved off after officials watched the replay.