First unit was second-rate, coach says

The Lakers had beaten the Clippers with ease, Kobe Bryant looked as healthy as could be, Andrew Bynum had taken another step forward, and everybody was happy.

Almost everybody.

Phil Jackson is often the Lakers’ harshest critic, and his words hardly matched the glow of a 113-92 victory Sunday.

The Lakers’ coach started his postgame news conference by saying the team had endured a “laborious third quarter,” and didn’t get much lighter from there.

Jackson took particular aim at the starters.

“I didn’t enjoy how the first unit played,” he said. “The ball stopped too often. They didn’t have good movement, didn’t play together, did a lot of individual stuff with the ball. As a result, there were turnovers and steals that lost us our momentum in the third quarter, which was difficult to watch.

“I tell them sometimes that I can hardly wait to get the second unit on the floor the way they’re playing.”

And that was after Bryant had 32 points on efficient 11-for-22 shooting; Bynum had 14 points on seven-for-nine shooting, nine rebounds and six blocked shots; and Luke Walton had a season-high 15 points.

All in a 21-point victory.

Ouch.

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The Lakers begin a four-game trip tonight against the Chicago Bulls, who were part of a more dramatic story line when the teams met Nov. 18 at Staples Center.

The Lakers’ 106-78 victory that night was their largest margin of victory in a 41-year series history against the Bulls.

The prospect of Bryant leaving the Lakers has lessened considerably since then, and Bryant was unemotional when asked about again playing the Bulls, a team he targeted as a destination while asking for a trade during the off-season.

“It’s no different than any other game,” he said. “We’re going to get ready to go out there and punch the clock.”

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At the end of their trip, the Lakers play the hapless New York Knicks, which could mean victory for the team but financial loss for Bynum.

Bynum is from Plainsboro, N.J., and figures to be the most popular guy on the team that day.

“I’ve got 38 tickets out there so that’s going to hurt the pockets a little bit,” he said. “But it should be fun.”

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Clippers forward Corey Maggette after the Lakers’ victory Sunday: “Bynum was completely destroying us down there.”

TONIGHT

at Chicago, 5:30 PST, Channel 9

Site -- United Center.

Radio -- 570; 1330.

Records -- Lakers 14-9; Bulls 8-13.

Record vs. Bulls -- 1-0.

Update -- The Bulls have played better after a 2-10 start, winning six of their last nine. Forward Luol Deng has straightened out after a herky-jerky start and is averaging 18.1 points. Guard Ben Gordon is the Bulls’ second-leading scorer (17.7 points a game), but is shooting only 38.4%.

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mike.bresnahan@latimes.com