Chicago Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich, left, tries to pull the ball away from Los Angeles Clippers center Ryan Hollins (15) as Bulls’ Nazr Mohammed, right, looks on during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2013. The Clippers won 121-82. AP
LOS ANGELES – Playing their first NBA game since Derrick Rose suffered a serious right knee injury, the Chicago Bulls were routed 121-82 by the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.
Rose missed all of last season recovering from a left knee injury and will undergo surgery Monday on a torn right knee ligament suffered in Friday’s 98-95 loss at Portland.
The former NBA Most Valuable Player, who was averaging 15.9 points plus 4.3 assists and 3.2 rebounds, could miss the remainder of this season. That could prove dismal for the Bulls, who were outscored in every quarter by the host Clippers.
Chris Paul scored 16 points and added 17 assists for the Clippers, who had 21 points from Jared Dudley and 19 from J.J. Redick plus 15 points and 12 rebounds by Blake Griffin.
The Clippers, 10-5, have won three of their last four games.
Britain’s Luol Deng scored a game-high 22 points for Chicago, which has lost three in a row and fallen to 6-6. Carlos Boozer and Mike Dunleavy added 14 points each for the Bulls.