Bulls escape snow, ready to begin trip

LOS ANGELES — The Bulls had little difficulty getting out of Chicago on Tuesday before the big snow storm worsened, but they were late getting to shootaround at UCLA this morning because of traffic.

But no one was in a bad mood, probably because it was bright and sunny with temperatures in the 60s and they weren’t experiencing the miserable conditions at home.

“My mom and my girlfriend have been sending me pictures of the snow there,” Derrick Rose said. “It’s terrible there, so I’m happy I’m here.”

The Bulls will kick off the five-game road trip tonight against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center.

The Clippers, who got off to a 1-13 start, are a bigger challenge than most people realize. They’ve gone 18-15 since that slow start and bring a nine-game home winning streak into the game.

“I take my hat off to them,” Rose said of the Clippers. “They’re playing decent basketball right now. They’ve beaten some of the best teams and they’re dangerous, especially at home.”