Luka Doncic pours in 51 as Lakers top Bulls to extend win streak

Luka Doncic scored 51 points with 10 rebounds and nine assists, Austin Reaves added 30 points and the Los Angeles Lakers extended their winning streak to four games with a 142-130 victory over the visiting Chicago Bulls.

Deandre Ayton scored 23 points with 10 rebounds, LeBron James added 18 points and Rui Hachimura had 15 as the Lakers won their sixth consecutive home game while moving into third place in the Western Conference.

It was Doncic's eighth career game of at least 50 points and first as a member of the Lakers. He was 17 of 31 from the floor and 9 of 14 from 3-point range.

Los Angeles shot 55.6% as a team and won for the seventh time in their past eight games going back to Feb. 28. The Bulls shot 53.7% from the floor.

Josh Giddey scored 27 points with 15 assists and Matas Buzelis added 22 as Chicago dropped to 3-3 following an 11-game losing streak. Leonard Miller and Nick Richards each scored 15 points for the Bulls, who are 2-2 on a five-game West Coast road trip that ends Friday.

Chicago was without Collin Sexton (leg), Anfernee Simons (hand), Isaac Okoro (knee) and Patrick Williams (ankle). The Bulls lost both games to the Lakers this season after winning both last season.

The Lakers led by 22 points in the third quarter before the Bulls rallied to leave Los Angeles with a 108-98 lead heading into the fourth.

Chicago was within 115-108 with 8:45 remaining before Reaves made a contested 3-pointer and a turnaround 15-footer for a 120-108 Los Angeles lead with 7:50 left. A Doncic basket put Los Angeles up 130-112 with 4:56 remaining.

Doncic scored 17 points in the third quarter and 10 in the fourth to surge past 50 points for the first time since he did it twice in the 2023-24 season.

The Bulls led by seven points in the second quarter before the Lakers took a 67-62 advantage into halftime. Doncic scored 24 points in the first half for the Lakers while Buzelis added 17 for the Bulls. Los Angeles shot 52.8% in the first half, while Chicago shot 51.1%.

--Field Level Media