The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a disappointing 146-115 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night, despite the return of LeBron James and Rui Hachimura. Following an eight-game winning streak, the Lakers have struggled, winning just three of their last seven games, and now sit fourth in the Western Conference standings.
James returned after a two-week absence due to a groin injury that sidelined him for seven games. However, the NBA's all-time leading scorer couldn't propel the Lakers to victory, finishing with 17 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Luka Doncic led the team with 34 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, but it wasn't enough to keep the Lakers competitive.
Surprisingly, the Lakers' biggest struggles came on defense, an area they had excelled in recent weeks. Per Josh Dubow of the Associated Press, the 146 points LA allowed tied a franchise record, which is an unfortunate bit of Lakers history.
After the game, James didn't hold back when asked about the Lakers' defensive woes.
"We didn't play good defense," the four-time MVP said. "We gave them a little bit of everything. We gave them points in the paint. We gave them fast-break points. We gave them threes... You can't give them everything, for sure."
LeBron James on his rust and whether he thinks the groin injury is fully healed pic.twitter.com/U0BHZxWLoN
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) March 23, 2025
The Lakers committed 21 turnovers, leading to 27 points for the Bulls, and also allowed 44 points in the paint. The 146 points given up marked just the second time in franchise history that LA has allowed that many in a non-overtime game (previously in November 1984).
With 12 games left in the regular season, the Lakers will look to bounce back when they face the Orlando Magic on Monday. The second seed remains within reach, but LA must tighten up defensively if they hope to make a deep playoff run.
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This story was originally published March 23, 2025 at 6:44 PM.