Center Joakim Noah (12 points, 15 rebounds) on the game:

"It's unbelievable. There's nobody you can really help off of. They just made it look really easy. It was like an exhibition out there tonight. It felt like a varsity team compared with a JV team.

"I mean, I was tired as hell and I'm looking around the court and nobody from the Lakers even broke a sweat.

"We just have to get better. It's humbling, but at the same time it's a learning experience."

Coach Vinny Del Negro on the Lakers' size now Pau Gasol has returned to join fellow 7-footer Andrew Bynum in the lineup:

"It's one thing to be tall and another thing to be tall and talented. They've got both, so that helps."

Del Negro on John Salmons' scoreless second half:

"He got in foul trouble, and he's been playing such heavy minutes, I didn't think it was smart to put him back in there at the end."

Del Negro on Noah:

"He was still solid, he gave us great effort, but they're long. Without Tyrus, this is one of those games where Tyrus could have helped us with his length and athleticism. I thought Jo battled and played well."

That much was clear when coach Vinny Del Negro was asked following the team's shootaround at Staples Center who would get a shot at guarding Bryant.

"It'll be John [Salmons], Kirk [Hinrich], Luol [Deng], team," Del Negro said. "You're not gonna stop Kobe one-on-one. It's team defense and sometimes even double and triple teams don't help.

"We've got to get on the glass, play at the right tempo. He's gonna have the ball a lot, but if you pay too much attention to him, [Andrew] Bynum can kill you, [Pau] Gasol, [Lamar] Odom, [Ron] Artest, the list goes on. That's what makes Kobe so effective: he has so much around him."

Gibson was delighted to be back, but the trip also provided some prime fodder for the veterans to use against him.

The ribbing began in the locker room in Sacramento on Tuesday following the Bulls' 101-87 win over the Kings when someone said: "Taj, when we get to USC, we'll see how big you really are there."

At the time, only Gibson knew how prophetic that statement would prove to be.

The Galen Center, USC's new state-of-the-art basketball arena, has two practice courts. One is used by the men's team and has huge, larger-than-life photo banners of players hanging high on all four walls, including three of Gibson. The other gym is virtually identical except it doesn't have any photos.

"They didn't have a clue about the pictures and I was like when we were walking in the building, 'Please don't go in the big gym,'" Gibson said after practice. "When we went in here, I was like, 'Oh, no.'"

The players and coaches were barely through the door when they noticed all photos of Gibson - including a 10-by-40 foot banner of him celebrating in the crowd with fans following one game.

"As soon as we got in here, everyone started," he said.

The ribbing continued throughout the practice session, and some dubbed the three-year-old Galen Center as the house that Taj built.

It's only been a few months since Gibson left school, but the trip back was surreal.

"It's kind of weird because you think about all the times when you were in here practicing and it's just a totally different feeling right now," he said. "You're a pro, a totally different team and different coaches. You think about all the times you came here at night to work on your game and all the sweat."

"For awhile there in the fourth quarter, it didn't seem like we'd get there," coach Vinny Del Negro said.

The Bulls scored just two minutes in the first five minutes of the fourth.

"I can run but I cannot jump or change directions," Nocioni said following the Kings' shootaround. "I'm pushing myself the last couple of days, but I can't do it. It wouldn't be good for the team or for me to go out there. The team is doing well, so let someone else go in there and play.

"So I just have to sit and watch the game and be frustrated."

Nocioni is averaging 11.6 points and 4.1 rebounds this season.

Gray was taken to a suburban Chicago hospital following Monday's practice session at the Berto Center and remained there Tuesday morning.

Gray was expected to accompany the team on its Western road trip, which begins Tuesday night at Sacramento, but obviously didn't leave with the team. The Bulls are hopeful he can join the team later in the five-game Western trip to continue his rehabilitation from the stress fracture.

"I just think what Michael Jordan has done for the game has to be recognized some way soon." James said after the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Heat in Miami with Jordan sitting courtside. "There would be no LeBron James, no Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade if there wasn't Michael Jordan first.

"He can't get the logo, and if he can't, something has to be done. I feel like no NBA player should wear 23. I'm starting a petition, and I've got to get everyone in the NBA to sign it. Now, if I'm not going to wear No. 23, then nobody else should be able to wear it."

Right now, Jordan's 23 is retired by the Bulls and the Heat. The NBA doesn't have any number retired league wide. Should 23, in honor of Jordan, be the first? Leave your comments below.

"There's frustration because you think you won a game," coach Vinny Del Negro said. "It's difficult. But I think we've regrouped and I expect us to come out with good effort tonight and ride the emotional rollercoaster."

In case you've been in a cave the last 24 hours, you've seen the replay of Brad Miller's attempt at a buzzer beater countless times. But just for the record, the Bulls inbounded the ball with 0.3 seconds left and Miller's heave was initially called good and the Bulls thought they had a miraculous win.

But a shot at the end of the clock (in any quarter) is automatically reviewed. The process isn't supposed to take longer than two minutes, but the review took at least four minutes before crew chief Mark Wunderlich waved off the shot, giving the Nuggets the win.

Del Negro said he watched the replay "several" times, but declined to offer an opinion when asked.

"It's irrelevant, my opinion, right now," he said. "They made the decision and you move forward. We have the game against Toronto and that's what I'm gonna focus on.
"It's disappointing. But we have a very difficult game tonight we have to get ready for."

The replays shown on the Comcast SportsNet's telecast appeared to be inconclusive, but Ron Johnson, the NBA's senior VP of referee operations said during an interview on ESPN's 1000 "Waddle and Silvy" show that the officials had access to an angle that the TV audience may not have seen.

"Mark finished looking at various views and then he asked if there was any other view available," Johnson said. "He was given a view that showed clearly that Brad Miller's fingers were still in contact with the ball when there was zero seconds left on the game clock. Therefore, the ball had not left his hand."

"I wish we had Nate McMillan," Karl said. "He played nine quarters in the series and I think we won seven of those quarters. When he was on the court, we were the complete team that might have been able to beat them."

McMillan, now coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, was hampered by a knee injury in that series.

He watched practice with his arm in a sling and left without speaking to the media.

"He's down, he's disappointed," coach Vinny Del Negro said of Thomas' mood. "He's got his arm in a sling and he goes to the specialist tomorrow. Put yourself in that situation; you're gonna be down. He worked hard all summer to get in shape.

"We'll miss him, with the athleticism he brings to the team. Hopefully, other guys can step up to fill in."

On the bright side, being injured got Thomas out of the half-hour autograph session after practice where all the players signed a host of basketball, jerseys and other items for Bulls' charities.

"We texted back and forth," Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said. "He needs some rest and he's a little drugged up right now. He's had a long day, but everything went well and now it's just a matter of getting some rest. He gets reevaluated on Tuesday."

Thomas will undergo surgery on Saturday and is expected to be sidelined four to six weeks.

The forward missed two days with a nasty case of the flu earlier in the week before returning in a limited role Thursday at Cleveland. Then on Friday, Thomas suffered an injury to his left arm in a weight lifting accident during practice at the Berto Center.

The severity of the injury is not known yet, but Thomas was taken to a local hospital for x-rays. The results of those x-rays and his status for Saturday night's game against the Charlotte Bobcats is unclear at this point.

"It's pretty sore," coach Vinny Del Negro said. "I don't know how bad it is. He went to get an x-ray. Let's see how it is. I want to see how he is, what the doctor says.

"I think he was doing some type of pull up or something and kind of injured his arm. It's just unfortunate."

"I want to see him warm up before deciding," Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said.

Thomas said he was much better today, but said was as sick as he's ever been a couple of days ago. He said he decided to fly to Cleveland after being examined by a Bulls physician.

"I went to see Dr. [Kathy] Weber," Thomas said. "She released me. She told me I was cool."

If Thomas does play, he'll come off the bench. Rookie Taj Gibson will start at power forward.

"I'm here to support the team, however it is," Thomas said. "Cheer, play, whatever. That's what I'm here for."

I have to say I was surprised when I boarded the aircraft and saw Thomas sitting in first class.

He indicated he was feeling better and it appears he will try to play tonight when the Bulls play the Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena.

Our flight landed at 3:30 p.m., so he won't have much time to rest at the team hotel before heading to the arena.