Luka Doncic delivered a dominant all-around performance with 46 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds as the Los Angeles Lakers held off the Chicago Bulls 129-118 on Monday night.
LeBron James scored 20 of his 24 points in the first half, and Rui Hachimura added 23 points on an efficient 9-of-11 shooting night as the Lakers improved to 3-1 on their eight-game road trip.
Los Angeles was looking for redemption after being swept by Chicago last season, including a dramatic 119-117 loss at the United Center on Josh Giddey’s half-court buzzer-beater. This time, the Lakers had an answer for every Bulls push.
Coby White led Chicago with 23 points, while Ayo Dosunmu added 20. Nikola Vučević recorded 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Giddey finished with 19 as the Bulls, winners of four straight entering the night, placed six players in double figures.
The Bulls leaned heavily on the 3-point shot, going 18 of 49 from deep and extending their streak of games with at least 17 made 3s to five. Chicago trimmed a 20-point deficit to just one when Vučević made two free throws to make it 81-80 midway through the third quarter.
Los Angeles responded immediately. Marcus Smart completed a three-point play, Doncic knocked down two free throws, and Hachimura buried a 3-pointer to restore control. Doncic closed the third quarter with a 3 and a free throw, giving the Lakers a 104-89 cushion. He scored 20 points in the period on 6-of-9 shooting.
The Lakers shot 56 percent from the field (46 of 82) and went 16 of 33 from beyond the arc. They built separation earlier with a 25-6 run that spanned the end of the first quarter and the start of the second, capped by a James fast-break dunk that made it 51-37.
Chicago finished the first half on a 7-0 run to pull within 69-56 at the break, but could never fully close the gap in the second half.
Up next:
The Lakers continue their road trip at Cleveland on Wednesday night, while the Bulls visit Indiana on Wednesday.
