Gasol’s return propels Los Angeles past Bulls

LOS ANGELES – Pau Gasol had 24 points and 13 rebounds in his season debut, and Kobe Bryant scored 21 points while passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the Lakers’ career scoring chart in Los Angeles’ 108-93 victory against the Bulls on Thursday night.

Ron Artest added 15 points for the Lakers, who had their full starting lineup intact for their ninth victory in 12 games. The defending NBA champions had little trouble with the Bulls, opening a 20-point lead in the third quarter before beating them for the eighth time in nine meetings.

Derrick Rose had 20 points and John Salmons scored all 18 of his points in the first half for the Bulls, who lost on the second stop of a taxing six-game road trip.

Gasol missed the Lakers’ first 11 games with a right hamstring injury, but the Spanish forward appeared fully healthy in his first appearance since early in the preseason. Gasol scored 10 of the Lakers’ first 13 points, moving easily on his injured leg while playing 34 minutes.

Bryant clearly took a back seat to Gasol early on in a 7-for-21 shooting night, but still added nine rebounds and eight assists. And two days after Bryant posted his 100th career 40-point game, he reached another milestone.

With a free throw in the third, Bryant passed Abdul-Jabbar (24,276) for second place on the Lakers’ career scoring list.

Before beating Sacramento on Tuesday, the Bulls were 9-56 since Michael Jordan’s departure on the annual road trip made necessary by the circus occupying the United Center around Thanksgiving. The Bulls must stop in Denver, Portland, Utah and Milwaukee before getting home in December.