Coby White, leading the scoring, put up 36 points while LeBron James registered 17 as the Chicago Bulls attained a 146-115 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Though the NBA’s leading scorer, LeBron James, managed 17 points and pulled down six rebounds and four assists in his 31 minutes, he was overshadowed by the Bulls’ own firepower.
Luka Doncic, who was back after nursing a sore ankle, nailed eight three-pointers for a team-high 34 points, but faded in the second half, with no one stepping up to fill the void.
Austin Reaves also contributed 25 points after dealing with ankle issues, while Rui Hachimura, who recently returned from a knee injury, managed five points for the Lakers, who hold the third spot in the Western Conference.
“This was the worst our defense has looked all year, possibly,” stated Lakers coach JJ Redick, labeling their performance as the worst in months.
“There might have been an assumption that having everyone back would immediately restore our previous form, but that’s how this works,” Redick elaborated.
The Lakers’ struggles defensively were compounded by 21 turnovers, benefiting both Coby White and Josh Giddey of the Bulls.
Coby White made six three-pointers and topped the scoring with 36 points; Giddey notched a triple-double with 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 17 assists, just falling short of an uncommon quadruple-double by two steals.
Rookie sensation Matas Buzelis chipped in with 31 points, aiding the Bulls, who sit ninth in the Eastern Conference, in their quest for a play-in tournament spot.
Elsewhere, the New York Knicks, third in the Eastern Conference, snapped a two-game losing streak with a decisive 122-103 win over the league’s worst team, the Washington Wizards, at Madison Square Garden.
Karl-Anthony Towns shone with 31 points and 11 rebounds, supported by Mikal Bridges’ 27 points and OG Anunoby’s 23 points, as the Knicks found their offense again despite the absence of Jalen Brunson.
Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo poured in 22 of his 32 points in the third quarter to lead the Bucks to a hard-fought 114-108 win over the Kings in Sacramento.
In Atlanta, the Hawks relied on a balanced offense to overcome a short-handed Golden State Warriors team 124-115, withTrae Young accounting for 25 points and 10 assists and Onyeka Okongwu contributing 22 points and 12 rebounds.
The Warriors, battling for sixth place in the West and striving to avoid the play-in games, were without Stephen Curry, who is out following a hard fall.
Jimmy Butler scored 25 points and Moses Moody added 20, but the Warriors trailed throughout.
NBA STANDINGS UPDATE
NYK (East #3), IND (East #4), MIL (East #5), ATL (East #7), & CHI (East #9) all secure victories
— NBA
