The Los Angeles Lakers had to deal with some tough weather, delaying their flight out of Dallas. They eventually took off on Sunday though and made it to the Windy City for their matchup with the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.
The Lakers’ season-long eight-game road trip has gotten off to a solid 2-1 start and they looked to keep that going in Chicago. They were able to do exactly that, building a big lead and never looking back in a 129-118 victory.
Neither team was playing much defense early but when the Lakers did, it allowed LeBron James to get out into transition for a pair of easy buckets. Luka Doncic then got in on the scoring with 10 quick points, including a pair of triples, after distributing to start the game.
Rui Hachimura, who seems to be getting comfortable in his new bench role, came in and immediately hit three shots to spark a Lakers run, giving them a 35-31 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Laker run continued into the second quarter with Hachimura and James staying hot to stretch the lead to double digits.
Chicago couldn’t stop turning the ball over as the L.A. defense began to lock in. Jake LaRavia and Marcus Smart took advantage by connecting from deep and the Lakers went into the halftime locker room with a 69-56 lead. After the Lakers went up by as many as 20 though, the Bulls closed the quarter on a 7-0 run.
The Bulls came out red-hot from 3-point range to begin the third quarter as the Lakers’ lead continued to evaporate. Doncic was trying to match them, but Chicago made eight of its first 10 shots.
Hachimura continued to hit open shots though and Doncic led another run for the Lakers to end the third, getting the lead back up to a comfortable 104-89.
Deandre Ayton got beat backdoor for layups twice early in the fourth quarter as the Bulls tried to get back in it. They got their deficit back down to single digits but never really threatened a comeback as Doncic hit a couple of triples to put the game on ice. Jaxson Hayes then had a dunk in transition that he put threw his legs to get the crowd on its feet.
As usual, Doncic filled up the stat sheet in the victory, finishing with 46 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists.
What’s next for the Lakers…
The Lakers will continue their road trip on Wednesday night when they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers. It remains to be seen if this is James’ last season in the NBA but if it is, that would mark his final game back in Cleveland.
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