The latest victory by the Bulls was different from their recent wins.

Chicago spent the previous three weeks picking on teams with losing records, most from the East, but they took out one of the best in the West on Tuesday, staring Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in a 94-89 victory.

"It's a good feeling to get a win against a team like that," Chicago's Ben Gordon said after the Bulls' 12th win in 13 games.

"That was big tonight," added Thabo Sefolosha, who helped contain Bryant. "We really needed that one. Tonight, we really showed that we have a great team."

"They just kept plugging away and beat us in a game that was very lethargic," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said.