© Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
The Chicago Bulls dominated the second half to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers easily
The Chicago Bulls opened their six-game homestand with a resounding 124-108 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night. Fresh off a morale-boosting win over one of the beasts of the East—the Philadelphia 76ers—the Bulls kept the good vibes going, showcasing a balanced scoring effort that saw eight players score in double-figures to help the team rise to 12-17.
On-point outside shooting
Although the Bulls haven’t been known for their long-range shooting over the last few seasons, the team showcased their accuracy from the beyond the arc against the Lakers, tying their season-high with 18 made triples. Five players made at least three in the game, with Ayo Dosunmu leading the charge with four three-pointers. Patrick Williams, Nikola Vucevic, Alex Caruso, and Coby White all had three trifectas each.
Balanced scoring
Chicago’s offense was clicking on all cylinders against the Lakers, with DeMar DeRozan tallying 27 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds. White had 17, Dosunmu came off the bench and had 14, while Vucevic registered his 16th double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 boards.
Williams and Caruso each added 15 markers, while reserves Andre Drummond and Jevon Carter tallied 11 and 10 points, respectively.
The Bulls led by as much as 18, but the Lakers came to within two, 67-69, with eight minutes left in the third. However, Chicago was unfazed and countered with a 21-11 run to enter the fourth up by 12, 90-78.
The Lakers are in a slump right now, having lost four of their last five games after capturing the title in the In-Season Tournament. LeBron James narrowly missed out on a triple-double with 25 points, ten boards, and nine assists in what was the 20th anniversary of the first game he had versus the Bulls.
