LeBron James is back in the lineup after sitting out Tuesday night as the Los Angeles Lakers look to get back to .500 when they host the Chicago Bulls. This is the second and final meeting between these two teams with the Bulls defeating the Lakers by double-digits in Chicago in December.
The Lakers put forth an admirable effort against the Clippers on Tuesday without LeBron and now need to keep up that level of fight and energy with him back on the court. This marks the final game at Crypto.com Arena of a home-heavy January schedule before the Lakers go out on a season-long road trip.
Something else that needs to continue going for the Lakers is the level of play of both Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell.
Russell has been simply outstanding since returning to the starting lineup and is coming off a 27-point, 10-assist effort on Tuesday, the fifth time in six games he has scored 20 or more points. His hot shooting has been crucial in giving Davis and LeBron room to operate in the paint, and he has also created open looks for his teammates as well, opening up the Lakers offense.
Austin Reaves is also looking for a bounce-back night after struggling on Tuesday. The guard has been up-and-down all season long but is still a big part of the Lakers offense, though his perimeter shot has fallen off as of late.
The battle in the paint could decide this game, however, as the Lakers rank third in the NBA in points in the paint while the Bulls allow the fewest paint points in the league. Davis has sometimes struggled against big, physical centers like Nikola Vucevic, but he absolutely has to be the best big man in this contest if the Lakers plan on getting the win.
Likewise, turnovers will be crucial as well as the Bulls are one of the best teams in the league in points off turnovers and rarely cough up the ball themselves. A familiar face in Alex Caruso should play a large role in that as he is one of the best defenders in the NBA and will could spend much of the night hounding James, Russell and Reaves.
With Cam Reddish out due to an ankle sprain, the Lakers will rely even more so on Jarred Vanderbilt to be their defensive stopper and he has looked much healthier as of late. He is expected to spend a lot of time on Bulls star DeMar DeRozan, but the Lakers must also not lose sight of Coby White, who has emerged as an explosive offensive weapon with Zach LaVine continuing to miss time due to injury.
This should likely be a dog fight with both teams relying on defense. Whichever team is able to impose their will be the one will come out on top.
Los Angeles Lakers (22-23) vs. Chicago Bulls (21-24)
7:30 p.m. PT, Tuesday January 25, 2023
Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
TV: Spectrum SportsNet
Radio: 710 AM ESPN LA
Projected Lakers Starting Lineup:
PG: D’Angelo Russell
SG: Austin Reaves
SF: Taurean Prince
PF: LeBron James
C: Anthony Davis
Key Reserves: Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura, Christian Wood, Max Christie
Projected Bulls Starting Lineup:
PG: Coby White
SG: Alex Caruso
SF: DeMar DeRozan
PF: Patrick Williams
C: Nikola Vucevic
Key Reserves: Ayo Dosunmu, Andre Drummond, Jevon Carter, Dalen Terry
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