The comebacks of LeBron James and Rui Hachimura could not save the Los Angeles Lakers from their sixth loss in their last nine NBA games, as they were soundly defeated by the Chicago Bulls on Saturday.
James returned for the Lakers after a seven-game absence due to a groin injury, while Hachimura had missed 12 games due to a knee problem.
However, they couldn't avoid a 146-115 loss to the Lakers – with the Bulls recording their highest points total of the season, improving their record to 31 wins and 40 losses.
Coby White led the Bulls with 36 points, while debutant Matas Buzelis added 31 points. 22-year-old Australian Josh Giddey recorded his 15th career triple-double with 15 points, 17 assists and 10 rebounds.
Luka Doncic led the Lakers (43-27) with 34 points — 29 of them in the first half — while James scored 17. The Lakers narrowed the lead to 65-64 early in the third quarter, but the Bulls built a sizable lead, entering the fourth quarter with a 104-89 lead.
Other results:
In other games on Saturday, Giannis Antetokounmpo had 32 points and 17 rebounds, helping the Milwaukee Bucks overturn a 14-point deficit to win 114-108 against the Sacramento Kings.
The Golden State Warriors continued to be without their main star, Stephen Curry, due to a groin injury, and suffered a 124-115 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, where Trae Young scored 25 points and recorded his 41st double-double of the season.
Tyrese Haliburton returned after a three-game absence to help the Indiana Pacers beat the Brooklyn Nets 108-103, with Pascal Siakam leading the way with 26 points.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 31 points and 11 rebounds to help the New York Knicks win 122-103 at home against the Washington Wizards.
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