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TSN presents a full day of NBA action on Thursday, including Pau Gasol facing his former team as the Chicago Bulls take on the Los Angeles Lakers and Stephen Curry and NBA-leading Warriors facing the Los Angeles Clippers. Watch all five Christmas games on TSN1, TSN3, TSN4 and TSN5. Lakers vs. Bulls After winning a couple titles alongside Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol is a major reason why the Chicago Bulls are thinking big. Gasol faces his former team for the first time as the surging Bulls host the Los Angeles Lakers, who should have Bryant available on Christmas night after pulling off a huge upset without him. You can watch the game live on TSN1, TSN3, TSN4, TSN5 at 8pm et/5pm pt. Gasol signed a three-year, $22 million deal with Chicago this summer following six-plus seasons with the Lakers, including championship runs in 2009 and 10. The Spanish big man is averaging 18.0 points and what would be a career-best 11.4 rebounds. Emotional, weird, hard to focus, but at the same time I kind of look forward to it in a way, he said of Thursdays showdown. To see some of the people that Ive been through a lot with. ... Just makes Christmas a little more special. Gasols arrival has provided a huge lift for the Bulls (19-9), who have climbed atop the Central Division behind a 7-1 run. Chicago is on the verge of a season-best fifth consecutive victory after winning 99-91 at Washington on Tuesday. Derrick Rose came up big again with 10 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter after scoring 15 of his 29 over the final 12 minutes against Toronto the night before. Rose is averaging 22.7 points on 50.9 percent shooting over his last six games and is starting to look more and more like his old self. Hes having fun out there. When hes playing, hes playing at a really high level. A lot of guys are stepping up, it just feels good to have Derrick back on the court, center Joakim Noah said. Its real, Chicago Bulls are getting healthy again. Its very real. ... We know the skys the limit for our team. Our confidence is getting better, and were just going to keep working. Its all coming and its going to be a special year. It appears the Bulls will get their first glimpse of Bryant in two seasons with the 16-time All-Star expected to return after sitting out Tuesdays surprising 115-105 win over NBA-leading Golden State due to rest, his first absence since missing last seasons final 57 games with a fractured left knee. The 36-year-old Bryant is averaging 24.6 points and over 35 minutes while shooting just 37.2 percent, way down from his career mark of 45.2. Looking at our schedule coming up, I just thought it was a good time to give him a day of rest and let him prepare for the next game, coach Byron Scott said. Hes on board with it. ... Youve got to remember - this is 19 years in this league. Thats an unbelievable career. I dont care how much his mind is willing. Youre not going to be able to play 82 games at the level that he is accustomed to playing. The Lakers (9-19), who snapped a three-game losing streak, shot 51.7 percent against the Warriors for their highest mark in 12 games. Former Bulls forward Carlos Boozer scored 18 points off the bench to lead seven players in double figures while Ronnie Price finished with 17 points - his most in three years. Like Gasol, this game could have extra significance for Boozer, who landed in Los Angeles after the Bulls used the amnesty clause to cut him this offseason. I think he should get some love, Noah said of his former teammate. Carlos was big part of this team for four years, and somebody who fought hard every night. The Bulls had dropped seven straight against Los Angeles before taking five of the last six meetings. Noah is averaging 18.3 points and 17.0 boards during a three-game stretch in the series. Rose hasnt faced the Lakers since scoring 22 points - including the winning basket with 5 seconds left - in an 88-87 road victory on Christmas Day in 2011 in what was both teams first game following the lockout. Rose is averaging 24.6 points against Los Angeles for his second-highest mark against any team. Bryant is averaging 30.4 points over his last nine games on Christmas. Warriors vs. Clippers Stephen Curry and the NBA-leading Golden State Warriors have been one of the seasons big stories, and theyre excited to showcase their talents on the biggest of stages. The Los Angeles Clippers also have earned plenty of accolades, though theyre trying to put an end to a recent rough patch. The high-scoring Pacific Division rivals will go toe-to-toe Thursday night at Staples Center in the fifth and final game of the leagues much-anticipated Christmas Day slate. You can watch the game live on TSN1, TSN3, TSN4, TSN5 at 10:30pm et/7:30pm pt. Theres big moments throughout the course of the season that you enjoy, Curry said, and you have fun showing what you can do. Curry has averaged 23.4 points in leading Golden State to a 23-4 start - at least three fewer losses than every other team. The Warriors are third in the league in scoring with 108.1 points per game, while Los Angeles (19-10) ranks fourth at 106.8. Theyre really good, Clippers coach Doc Rivers told the NBAs official website. But we are, too. Golden State came out on the losing end of a seven-game, first-round series against Los Angeles this past spring, but it took this seasons first meeting 121-104 on Nov. 5. Curry poured in 28 points to lead all scorers, Draymond Green added 24 and the Warriors shot a season-best 58.1 percent. The Warriors have strung together six consecutive regular-season home victories in the series, but have dropped 15 of 20 road matchups since 2004-05 - including the last three by an average of 16.6 points. Playing on Christmas Day is special, forward David Lee said. You know its a bigger stage than a normal regular-season game would be, and we enjoy that and we enjoy the challenge of facing a good Clippers team that we beat once this year. Its two teams that have had fun the last couple years playing against one another. Golden State has split its last four overall following a franchise-best 16-game winning streak, with both defeats coming on the road. The Warriors were handed a 115-105 loss against the Lakers on Tuesday despite Kobe Bryant getting the night off to rest. They kicked our (butts). They were much better than we were, said coach Steve Kerr, whose team had 20 assists negated by as many turnovers. We werent ready to play. We started turning the ball over immediately. We never had any energy, which is going to happen occasionally in the NBA with 82 games. Thats where we have to improve, you have to be able to stay in games with your defense. Aside from Tuesdays display, the Warriors have mostly shined on that end of the floor. They lead the NBA with a defensive rating of 96.9 - the number of points allowed per 100 possessions - and are holding teams to a league-low 42.2 percent shooting. That doesnt bode well for a Clippers team that shot just 40.2 percent in Tuesdays 107-104 loss at Atlanta, their worst mark in 26 games. Los Angeles also fell 125-118 at San Antonio the night before to drop to 3-5 since Dec. 12. Im fine with where were playing, Rivers said. It was a tough trip. Im not going to over-analyze it. Blake Griffin finished with 21 points, eight rebounds and a career high-tying 11 assists against the Hawks, while DeAndre Jordan scored 15 to go with 22 boards. Jordan has averaged 16.5 points on 82.8 percent shooting and 17.0 rebounds over a four-game stretch against the Warriors, including playoffs. Despite their recent efforts, the Clippers wont be making any excuses Thursday. If you cant find energy for that game, thats a problem, Griffin said. I think well be ready for that game. Getting back home could make all the difference for Los Angeles, which has won each of its seven games there this month by an average of 14.7 points. Griffin is averaging 29.6 points on 52.5 percent shooting over a five-game stretch at Staples and the Clippers are 9-1 at home when hes scored at least 21. All-Star point guard Chris Paul is averaging 22.9 points against the Warriors since joining Los Angeles in 2011-12, his highest mark against any team during that span. . The day began ominously for the Rangers when star pitcher Yu Darvish was scratched from his scheduled start with stiffness in his neck. Fill-in Scott Baker gave up three hits over six innings and Chris Gimenez hit a tiebreaking two-out RBI single in the sixth off Phil Hughes. . -- So much for concern that running back Marshawn Lynch would be absent from the Seattle Seahawks minicamp. http://www.hockeyavalancheproshop.com/j ... -jersey/.S. international midfielder Michael Bradley is complete. . According to TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie, the deal will pay Schenn $2.25 million in the first year and $2.75 million in the second year. In 82 games with the Flyers in 2013-14, Schenn scored 20 goals and added 21 assists. . With his father watching from the stands, Harrison homered, doubled, single and drove in a career-high five runs to lead the Pirates to a 8-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday.DAVIE, Fla. -- A sweltering practice had just ended Monday, and a puddle of perspiration formed at the feet of Miami Dolphins defensive end Dion Jordan, who was losing weight even as he talked about gaining it. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2013 draft said he has added more than 15 pounds in the past year, which should make him better equipped to take on NFL blockers. "I definitely feel stronger," Jordan said. "I needed it. Last year I was definitely too light to be out there trying to go against some of those offensive tackles." Jordan was on the field for less than a quarter of the Dolphins defensive snaps in 2013, which meant only modest dividends from a player who received a $13.3 million signing bonus. He excelled as a pass rusher for Oregon, but at 6-6 and less than 250 pounds, the rookie had trouble finding a home in the Dolphins 4-3 defence. A stronger Jordan should be a better fit at end, and he said the additional bulk hasnt cost him any speed or quickness. At 24, he expects to get even heavier as he grows older. "Have you seen my frame? Does it look like Im getting too big?" said Jordan, who has long arms and legs. "I would never sacrifice my speed for weight." Plus, he said, the extra weight comes in handy on days on Monday, when the temperature was near 90 by the time practice ended. "If you can come out in this heat, game time will be cake," he said. Jordan blames his slow development last year in part to the lingering effects of rightt shoulder surgery in February 2013.dddddddddddd He missed much of training camp and said he was never 100 per cent last year. "Its hard to get better health-wise when you have live bullets each Sunday," he said. "It was a mental thing, because I was hurt and I was thinking about it a lot." The shoulder also kept him out of the weight room, but now hes healthy and able to take full advantage of the Dolphins off-season program, including a lifting regimen that has helped him to put on pounds. Coach Joe Philbin likes what he sees from a heavier Jordan. "The size can be an asset in the running game, and he still looks to be moving very well," Philbin said. "And hes starting to play faster. You notice his play speed getting better -- probably theres less thinking, and more familiarity with what were asking him to do and how to do it." One of Jordans tutors has been former Dolphins Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Taylor, whose has a similar physique with long limbs. Taylor has been working with Jordan two or three days a week this spring. "Thats a bonus on my part," Jordan said. "Hes a cool dude, and hes showing me how to use my length. Hes dropping a lot of knowledge." Jordans fast enough to drop into pass coverage, and he lined up in several places on the defence during Mondays practice. He also worked on special teams, as he did at Oregon and as a rookie. "I can help this team," he said, "in a lot of ways." ' ' '