LOS ANGELES -- The Bulls-Clippers game was played at Derrick Rose's speed, not Blake Griffin's altitude. Everything happened so fast. Rose and Griffin scored a combined 17 points in the first six minutes. The highlights piled on top of each other. Rose driving, tantalizingly keeping the ball away from defenders and making a reverse layup, Griffin elevating to throw down an alley-oop dunk over Kyle Korver. The back-to-back No. 1 overall draft picks were putting on a show throughout an entertaining first half.

And then, just as suddenly, it was over, a mere two minutes into the third quarter. Rose scored four points and fed Luol Deng for a 3-pointer, and the Bulls led by 13 points and were in control of a game they'd win 106-88.

Rose showed why he's an elite player, and the Bulls demonstrated that they belong in a different class than most of the visitors the Clippers had beaten to run up a nine-game winning streak at Staples Center.

"We've been playing at home, we've been playing well, we've always had control of the game, always been in striking distance," Clippers guard Baron Davis said. "I think when a team like that, they went up 13, we got a little frustrated. It was unfamiliar territory, something we weren't used to at home."

Here's something else they're not used to around here: someone else coming into this building, the Griffin Observatory, and taking the buzz from Blake. Rose matched Griffin with 32 points. Rose had 11 assists, masterfully controlling the game. While the Bulls' defense found a way to hold Griffin to seven second-half points, the Clippers never contained Rose. He had 19 points and five assists in 19 second-half minutes.

Bulls forwards Deng (26 points) and Carlos Boozer (16) threw plenty back at Griffin. Rose outscored the Clippers' top three guards -- Davis, Randy Foye and Eric Bledsoe -- by six points. Rose got to the basket and made 4 of 8 3-pointers.

Rose reminded us that as breathtaking as Griffin has been, Rose ranks ahead of him in the NBA hierarchy right now. Rose already has a Rookie of the Year award that Griffin is still months away from claiming. Rose was voted an Eastern Conference All-Star starter, while Griffin is hoping to be named as a Western Conference reserve.

And Rose rightfully belongs atop the Most Valuable Player list for the way he runs the Bulls, through thick or thin, with or without Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah (who said he's still two weeks away from playing).

"He's never satisfied, he wants the team to do well, he's always driving himself to get better," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "I thought he had great command in this game. The way he started out this game set the tone for us."

Actually, he set the tone earlier in the day, when he told reporters he wanted some payback for losing to the Clippers by a point in Chicago on Dec. 18, when Rose missed a potential game-tying free throw at the end. Even after winning Rose still sounded mad.

"They beat us last time," Rose said. "I wanted some revenge. It was because of me that we lost. I missed a free throw. That really hurt me. If anything, that made me stronger as a player."

Maybe the nine free throws that Griffin missed on Wednesday will make him even stronger. As spectacular as Griffin has been, if he wants to be the best, one of the people he'll have to catch up to first is Rose --- and man, is that dude fast.

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