Bulls' strong second half spoils LeBron James' return to Lakers

Field Level Media|published: 03/23/2025, 1:47am EDT

Mar 22, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) looks to pass against Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams (44) during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

Coby White, Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey led the hot-shooting Chicago Bulls to a 146-115 win over the host Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night, spoiling the returns of LeBron James and Rui Hachimura.

White finished with 36 points on 12-of-17 shooting from the field, making 6-of-9 attempts from 3-point range for Chicago (31-40). Buzelis, a rookie, added 31 points on 12-of-18 shooting.

Giddey perhaps one-upped them both, notching his 15th career triple-double by tallying 15 points, 17 assists and 10 rebounds. Giddey was also a decisive factor on defense with eight steals.

Luka Doncic led the way for the Lakers (43-27), scoring 34 points on 10-of-18 shooting, including 8 threes. Doncic scored 29 in the first half to keep it close briefly. Austin Reaves added 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting, while James chipped in 17 points on 7-of-16 shooting. He added six rebounds and four assists.

James played in his first game since leaving the Lakers' 111-101 loss in Boston on March 8 with a groin injury. The Lakers went 3-4 in James' absence, and they have lost six of their last nine overall.

Hachimura missed 12 games due to left patellar tendinopathy.

The Lakers pulled within a point on a James slam less than a minute into the second half. They couldn't get over the hump, however, again falling behind by 11 with 8:23 remaining after the Bulls went on a 15-4 run. Chicago led by as many as 15, including taking a 104-89 lead into the fourth.

Down 126-103 with over six minutes remaining in the fourth, Lakers coach JJ Redick pulled his starters and subbed in a lineup of reserves, which included Bronny James.

Chicago controlled much of the first half. The Bulls led for all but a few seconds of the second quarter, pushing their lead to double-digits at 49-39 with 7:30 to play.

The Lakers brought the game back within three at halftime at 65-62. Doncic led the comeback, hitting four 3-pointers in the last five minutes.

Doncic finished the half 9-of-14 from the field overall and 7-of-10 from 3-point range. He finished the game with eight rebounds and six assists, but also was responsible for seven of the Lakers' 21 turnovers.

--Field Level Media