Luka Dončić poured in 46 points and the Lakers put together one of their better defensive performances of the season as they knocked off the Bulls in Chicago, 129-118.
LA shot 56.1% from the field and 16-33 from the 3-point line. Defensively, they forced 15 turnovers, 12 in the first half, turning it into 23 points on the other end. The Lakers led for the entirety of the final three quarters and by double digits for long stretches.
It was the LeBron James show to start as he shouldered the offensive load early for the Lakers with six of LA’s first 12 points. Luka Dončić was close behind with four points. Mata Buzelis and Jalen Smith combined for 10 points for the Bulls.
At the first timeout, Los Angeles was down by four.
Smith continued his strong start for Chicago, reaching double figures with 10. Luka started feeling it from behind the arc, draining two triples. Rui Hachimura scored a quick seven points off the bench.
The Lakers ended the quarter on a 9-0 scoring run, putting them up by four.
The run exploded to 16-2 quickly in the second period. LeBron was cooking with seven points while Jarred Vanderbilt, Jaxson Hayes and Hachimura were spearheading the excellent defensive effort, combining for two blocks, seven rebounds and three assists.
Buzelis drained a 3-pointer to stop some of the bleeding for the Bulls. Luka was finding his teammates all over the court, dishing six dimes. LA was shooting 46% from behind the arc, after starting 33%.
Jake LaRavia knocked down two triples.
Los Angeles created 12 turnovers with their suffocating defense. LA had 16 fastbreak points, helping extend their scoring run to 43-25. The Lakers did allow the Bulls to score seven quick points to chip away at the deficit.
At halftime, the purple and gold were up by 13.
The third period began with both teams exchanging 3-pointers. Luka notched a quick five points for LA. Chicago was cooking early in the quarter, scoring on three triples and cutting Los Angeles’ lead to single digits.
Luka drained a 3-pointer out of a Lakers timeout to stop some of the bleeding for LA. Isaac Okoro responded with a 3-pointer on the other end for Chicago. Luka had 12 points in the third.
The change in momentum was rough as Los Angeles looked completely lost on defense after having such a strong defensive effort in the first half. The Bulls were on an extended 29-12 scoring run.
Chicago had been able to cut the deficit to one until the Lakers responded well with an 8-0 run. Hachimura drained two 3-pointers, which were a huge reason why LA kept its lead.
LA had taken complete control of the game, on the shoulders of Luka, who scored a massive 20 points in the quarter, and Hachimura.
Going into the fourth period, Los Angeles was up by 15.
The final frame began with Hachimura converting on a jump shot. Nikola Vučević scored five points for the Bulls. Hachimura drained another 3-pointer, adding to his excellent performance off the bench.
Chicago went on a 9-3 run to keep it close. At the 5:07 mark, the Lakers were nursing a seven-point lead. Both teams exchanged triples, and the lead was now nine for Los Angeles with 3:15 left to go in the game.
Luka then responded with yet another triple, which was his eighth of the night. Hayes delivered the dagger with a steal and a between-the-legs dunk that made everyone erupt.
Luka finished with 46 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists. Hachimura pitched in with 23 points off the bench. LeBron scored 20 of his 24 points in the first half. He also grabbed five rebounds.
LaRavia notched eight points, five rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Vanderbilt did the dirty work off the bench with seven rebounds and two assists. Ayton ended with six points. Smart scored 12 points. Jaxson Hayes had two blocks with his eight points and four rebounds.
The Lakers’ next matchup will be against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday at 4:00 PM PT.
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