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CHICAGO -- Pau Gasol talked to Joakim Noah when the Chicago Bulls travelled to Los Angeles to recruit the free-agent centre. He spoke with Derrick Rose over the phone, and Mike Dunleavy also reached out to the 7-foot veteran. What Gasol found was a hungry team in search of a championship, and it was enough to convince the skilled Spaniard to trade the warmth of Southern California for the cold winters of the Windy City. Gasol and newcomer Nikola Mirotic were at the United Center on Friday for a pair of press conferences announcing their new contracts. The 34-year-old Gasol begins his 14th NBA season with career averages of 18.3 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists, and the 6-10 Mirotic joins the Bulls after a successful final season with Real Madrid. "It was a gut feeling. I thought Chicago was going to be the best fit for me," Gasol said. "Its a great challenge, but Im driven by challenge. I look forward to it." Gasol began his career with Memphis and was traded to Los Angeles in February 2008. He formed a strong bond with Kobe Bryant while helping the Lakers to three consecutive NBA Finals from 2008-10, winning the title the last two of those years. Weighing interest from NBA champion San Antonio and Oklahoma City among other teams, Gasol said his conversations with Noah and Rose helped sway him to Chicago. Noah was the leagues defensive player of the year last season, and Rose is coming back from a pair of knee injuries which kept the 2011 MVP out for much of the last two seasons. "How humble they were, I think thats real important to be able to not have big egos, that makes things a lot easier," Gasol said. "Their passion, their hunger as well. Theyre hungry. Theyre hungry to win, thats something that I wanted to also come into, to be a part of a hungry team." Rose played only 10 games last season before he was shelved for the year by a torn meniscus in his right knee. Chicago still managed to win 48 games and make the playoffs, where it lost to Washington in the first round. Rose is expected to return this season, and the addition of Gasol and Mirotic should give Chicago one of the deepest frontcourts in the league. Noah set career highs with 12.6 points, 11.3 and 5.4 assists per game last year, and Taj Gibson blossomed into one of the leagues top reserves. The Bulls used the amnesty clause to cut Carlos Boozer on Tuesday, leaving an opening in the starting lineup. But coach Tom Thibodeau isnt sure what the lineup is going to look like just yet. "I dont know how its going to unfold," he said, "you know, who will be the starter, whos finishing? Maybe we change as we go. Were going to see once we get everyone out there together. Were always going to do whats best for the team." Gasol, a Barcelona native, also should be able to help with Mirotics transition to the NBA. The 23-year-old Mirotic, who was acquired in a 2011 draft-night deal with Minnesota, averaged 12.4 points while shooting 46 per cent from 3-point range last season with Real Madrid. Mirotic, a stretch power forward who has drawn comparisons to sharpshooters Hedo Turkoglu and Ryan Anderson, was believed to be one of the top players in the world outside of the NBA. "I strongly believe that I am ready for this challenge," Mirotic said through an interpreter. Gasol, Mirotic and first-round draft pick Doug McDermott address one of Chicagos biggest problems from a year ago. The Bulls had the NBAs top defence last season, allowing 91.8 points per game, but they also averaged a league-low 93.7 points. "I think weve added shooting. Of course, getting Derrick back is a huge piece," Thibodeau said. "So it depends how it all fits together. We wont know until we get out there." Nico Hischier Jersey . With nothing tangible at stake, the Raptors turned in their most impressive outing of the fall in their seventh and second to last exhibition tilt against their stiffest competition yet, but they lost a couple starters in the process. New Jersey Devils Jerseys . PAUL, Minn. http://www.authenticdevilspro.com/Taylor...evils-jersey/.J. -- Patrick Sharp is on one of those streaks. Will Butcher Jersey . The Padres made the moves before Fridays game at Washington. They promoted infielder Jace Peterson from Double-A San Antonio and right-hander Kevin Quackenbush from Triple-A El Paso. Jamie Langenbrunner Jersey . In Englands first game since its worst-ever World Cup showing, Roy Hodgsons side rarely looked like scoring against unambitious opposition and the breakthrough in the friendly only came when Raheem Sterling was tripped in the penalty area. VIENNA, Austria -- Top-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga outlasted the 149th-ranked Dominic Thiem of Austria 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (3) Friday to reach the semifinals of the Erste Bank Open. Tsonga will take on Robin Haase of the Netherlands for a place in Sundays final, while second-seeded Tommy Haas of Germany faces Lukas Rosol of Czech Republic in the other semifinal. The eighth-ranked Frenchman, who won the event in 2011, missed a match point at 5-4 in the final set but converted his second chance in the tiebreaker after 2 hours, 15 minutes as Thiem hit a forehand long. "I was really poor from the baseline but I served well," said Tsonga, who had 16 aces. "I have played many matches like this so I have the experience. That made the difference. I am not in a good shape, I have to fight to win matches." The 20-year-old Thiem, who played in only his second quarterfinal, said the match was "unbelievable." "A third-set tiebreaker means the match could have gone either way," Thiem said. "I am proud I could match a top-10 player." Haas reached his seventh semifinal of the season by defeating fifth-seeded Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic 7-6 (10), 6-3. The victory kept the 12th-ranked German in the running to qualify for next months ATP World Tour Finals in London. &qquot;I live from match to match," said Haas, who has never before played in the season-ending event.dddddddddddd Haas failed to serve out the opening set at 6-5 but won the tiebreaker after saving four set points for Stepanek. He converted his only break point in the second set. "It was mentally and physically tough," the second-seeded Haas said. "The tiebreaker was really great from both of us. I felt it was important to win it. If Id lost it, I would have been very frustrated." Haase, who won both his career titles in Austria, rallied to defeat third-seeded Fabio Fognini of Italy 6-7 (4), 6-1, 6-1 to advance to his fourth semifinal of the season. Haase didnt face a break point in the entire match. Fognini had 32 baseline errors and ended the match with his second double-fault. "I had my chances in the first set as well but lost it as he played an incredible passing shot," Haase said. "When I was 3-1 up in the decider and won five straight points from 40-0 down, I knew I wasnt going to lose this match." Earlier, Rosol beat Ruben Bemelmans of Belgium 6-3, 1-6, 6-3. Rosol broke the 176th-ranked qualifier once each in the first and final sets to reach his second career semifinal, and first since winning his maiden title in Bucharest in April. ' ' '