The Los Angeles Lakers are searching for answers following yet another crushing defeat, this time against the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night. Despite leading by 16 points heading into the fourth quarter, the Lakers once again failed to close out the game, falling 119-117 on Josh Giddey's half-court buzzer-beater.
The Bulls' red-hot backcourt was instrumental in the comeback, with Coby White scoring 26 points, including a clutch three-pointer in the final 10 seconds. Meanwhile, Giddey stole the show, finishing with 25 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists, securing his second straight triple-double against the Lakers.
Despite the loss, Austin Reaves had a career night, leading all scorers with 30 points while adding three assists.
The fourth-year guard has been on an incredible tear, averaging 25.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.3 assists while shooting 50.8% from the field over his last 10 games.
This makes him the first Lakers guard since Kobe Bryant (2013) to average 25+ points, 5+ rebounds, and 5+ assists on 50% shooting in a 10-game span.
Austin Reaves last ten games:
25.9 PPG
5.3 RPG
6.3 APG
51/34/94%
The first Laker guard since Kobe (2013) to have a 10-game span averaging 25/5/5 on 50% FG. pic.twitter.com/mimQL7hap0
— StatMamba (@StatMamba) March 28, 2025
Reaves has now recorded seven 30-point games this season, including three in March alone. To put this in perspective, he had just one 30-point performance in each of his first three seasons.
While Reaves' individual play has been outstanding, the Lakers' struggles continue. Los Angeles has now lost seven of its last 10 games, putting them just two games ahead of the seventh-seeded Golden State Warriors. With only nine games left, LA is at serious risk of falling out of automatic playoff qualification.
The Lakers will look to bounce back when they face the fifth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night.
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This story was originally published March 28, 2025 at 8:23 PM.