Takeaways & Player Grades: Bulls Embarrassed By Luka Doncic in 142-130 Loss

Defense was optional tonight, and turns out that benefited Luka Doncic the most.

The Los Angeles Lakers' leading scorer lit an early fire and proceeded to torch the Chicago Bulls for three quarters. Billy Donovan's crew was able to keep things interesting with their consistent ball movement and well-rounded scoring attack. But Chicago's inability to string together any stops made this one feel even further out of reach than the score sometimes suggested.

The Bulls will now have to quickly put this high-scoring 142-130 loss behind them, as a matchup with the playoff-hopeful Clippers awaits in less than 24 hours.

3 Takeaways

Speed vs. Power

For the Chicago Bulls to even think about pulling off the upset, they had to run. While the Los Angeles Lakers may not be the slowest team in the NBA, they sure aren't known for their speed. How could they be while rostering both Luka Doncic and a 41-year-old LeBron James?

To the Bulls' credit, they took full advantage of their youthful athleticism early on. They even rattled off a 9-0 run at the end of the first quarter to knot things up at 26 apiece. Billy Donovan only leaned further into their quickness to begin the second frame, calling upon two-way guard Yuki Kawamura. What happened next may have caused a small earthquake in Japan. The smallest player in the NBA drained a three right over the top of LeBron James. Then, Kawamura found himself leading a fastbreak before tossing the ball off the backboard of a Matas Buzelis slam.

When Chicago walked into the locker room, they held a 10-2 lead in fastbreak points. Their quickness both on and off the ball was a huge part of keeping things tight. Why didn't it make a bigger difference, though? The Lakers were overpowering them.

When the Lakers weren't finishing through traffic, they were scooping up offensive rebounds and making the most of second-chance points. They gobbled up nine offensive boards in the first half – six of which came from Deandre Ayton. The big man would post a highly efficient and opportunistic 16 points in 20 minutes.

Los Angeles had a 53.0 percent clip heading into the break, which included a 19-30 shooting effort from inside the paint. Perfect? No. But physically dominant, and there wasn't a whole lot the Bulls could do about it. Los Angeles would end the night with a 30-16 advantage in second-chance points.

Enough is Enough

The Lakers came out with a pep in their step. While matching the Bulls' speed for a full 48 minutes would be a challenge, they looked determined to do it for at least a quarter. They started the frame on a 13-5 run. LeBron James got the ball rolling with a transition slam before he forced a turnover that led to a Luka Doncic three. Just like that, the Lakers were up double digits.

Each time the ball landed in the Lakers' lap, they tossed it up the floor and looked to quickly set up offense. While the tempo may not have lasted the entire quarter, this surge accomplished what it needed to and helped balloon the Lakers' lead to as much as 22 points. And, to be sure, their physicality continued to stand out. They got to the free-throw line for double-digit attempts in the quarter and mustered 11 more second-chance points. It all led to a 41-point outburst.

The quarter was a simple case of a superstar-laden team saying enough is enough. The Lakers knew they were bigger, stronger, and smarter. The Bulls may have been able to trim the lead back down to 10 points thanks to a few defensive lapses and some strong minutes from Josh Giddey, but the writing felt like it was on the wall. Especially with Doncic sitting with 39 points and in a deadly groove, the Bulls stood no chance going into the final 12 minutes.

Austin Reaves also deserves a tip of the cap. The guard scored 20 of his 30 points in the second half, as the one-two-punch of him and Doncic proved to be far too much for the Bulls' backcourt to handle. They knew this group lacked length on the perimeter and had a field day.

The Matas Buzelis & Luka Doncic Beef

Something must have been said.

Halfway through the second quarter, it became nearly impossible to take your eyes off Luka Doncic and Matas Buzelis. The Chicago Sports Network broadcast did a great job of spotting the chirping between the two players, which really blew up when Doncic drained a mid-range shot and told Buzelis to "keep talking."

Luka telling Matas "keep talking"

🍿 pic.twitter.com/o3ybtr7ls7
— Will Gottlieb (@Will_Gottlieb) March 13, 2026

Cameras would catch the players exchanging some more words as they hustled back up the court soon after. Then, any time Doncic would find the bottom of the net, he was seemingly calling out Buzelis with a point or a yelp. Even when Buzelis was taking a breather on the bench, I swear you could see Doncic motioning in his direction.

While Buzelis wasn't nearly as animated tonight, he entered the league with his own affinity for trash talk. He also sure didn't look like he allowed Doncic's words to get under his skin with another 20+ point scoring night. Nonetheless, there is no question that the Lakers' superstar used this quarrel as motivation for a season-high 51 points on 17-31 shooting.

Chicago Bulls Player Grades

Josh Giddey of the Chicago Bulls — Mar 12, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (3) controls the ball against Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Josh Giddey – A
Stats: 27 PTS, 15 AST, 8 REB, 2 STL

While this game may have slipped away from the Bulls, it wasn't for a lack of trying by Josh Giddey. He picked apart this Lakers' defense all night long and ended up sinking a career-high six made threes. He also now has 15+ assists in two straight games for the first time since Guy Rodgers in the franchise's inaugural season, per Bulls PR.

Rob Dillingham – B+
Stats: 12 PTS, 7 AST, 5 REB

Look, we're grading Rob Dillingham on a curve. The guard has really struggled to look comfortable since arriving in Chicago, and we learned earlier this week that he has been dealing with some cysts in his wrist. Tonight was his best game yet, as he dished some tremendous dimes and made a legitimate difference with his ability to penetrate off the dribble.

Matas Buzelis – B
Stats: 22 PTS, 6 REB, 2 STL, 2 BLK

It wasn't the most efficient scoring night from Matas Buzelis (7-19), but you felt his presence out there on both ends. He was extremely aggressive offensively and didn't allow Doncic's antics to get to him. Likewise, he was one of the few Bulls to be playing consistent defense throughout the night. He had some really solid isolation possessions on that end, only to fall victim to some elite shotmaking.

Leonard Miller – B
Stats: 15 PTS, 9 REB, 1 STL

Leonard Miller continues to look the part. He finished 6-9 from the field and fought hard on the glass against a team with superior size. Every team wants an athletic and opportunistic wing who hustles in the open floor and crashes the glass hard. I see plenty more playing time in Miller's future.

Jalen Smith – C-
Stats: 14 PTS, 4 REB

The Bulls really needed Jalen Smith to buckle down defensively and do a better job protecting the rim. Also, as the starting center, you can not let the opposing team grab 14 OREBs.

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