The Lakers suffered an embarrassing 146-115 loss to the Bulls.
NBA fans didn’t hold back as they bashed the Los Angeles Lakers for their embarrassing loss to the Chicago Bulls. On Saturday, March 22, the Lakers fell 146-115 at home despite having a fully healthy roster.
Superstar LeBron James returned to the lineup after missing seven straight games due to a groin injury. Meanwhile, Luka Doncic, who sat out the previous game against the Bucks, also returned to action. The Lakers also welcomed back Rui Hachimura, along with Austin Reaves.
Despite a starting lineup featuring Dorian Finney-Smith, LeBron James, Jaxson Hayes, Austin Reaves, and Luka Doncic, the Lakers struggled and suffered their sixth loss in the last nine games. The 26-year-old Doncic led the team with 34 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, but his efforts weren’t enough as a Josh Giddey-led Bulls pulled off a major upset.
Needless to say, the loss didn’t sit well with Lakers fans, who took to X to criticize the team’s defensive effort. With this defeat, the Lakers have now dropped to the fourth spot in the Western Conference.
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The game had a fast start, where the Lakers missed quite a few shots in the beginning. However, the clash took its pace and Coby White had an impressive four-for-four from the field with a one-of-one from the three-point range. By the end of the first quarter, the Lakers narrowly trailed the Bulls 32-31 with Luka Doncic scoring 17 points, five rebounds and two assists.
While the Bulls were leading the Lakers for most of the second quarter, Luka Doncic’s three-pointer bridged the gap. With 1:28 on the clock, the game was tied at 59-59, which obviously gave hopes to the Lakers’ fans. However, the home favorites failed to make the most of it, and ended the second quarter at 65-62.
Doncic finished the first half with 29 points and tied his season high with seven-of-ten threes. Reaves added 16 points while James added five points and five rebounds. On the flip side, White had 19 points for the Bulls while Giddey had 10 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
In the second half, the Bulls continued their momentum and had a 10-2 run in the third quarter. By the end of it, they led the hosts 104-89 with White having 31 points. The Lakers, with their rough defense and 19 turnovers, couldn’t cope up with the Bulls’ pace and recorded a blowout loss to wrap up their homestand. James finished with 17 points, six rebounds and four assists. Reaves had 25 points, two rebounds and five assists.
On the other hand, Giddey recorded a near quadruple double as he finished with 15 points, 17 assists, 10 rebounds and a career-high eight steals.
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