Takeaways & Player Grades: Los Angeles Lakers 129, Chicago Bulls 118

Did the Chicago Bulls enjoy their 48 hours above .500?

The Los Angeles Lakers came in and looked like the adults in the room, snapping Chicago's four-game win streak. They used their superstar duo and a much-needed bench performance from Rui Hachimura (23 points) to pull off the impressive 129-118 victory.

The Bulls will now have a day off before embarking on a rare four games in five days. Get those ice tubs ready!

3 Takeaways

A Sloppy Second Quarter

After what was a tightly contested first quarter that saw both teams take advantage of the other's poor rim protection, the Chicago Bulls started to show their age.

The oldest player in the NBA, LeBron James, started the second quarter with an individual 10-4 run for the Lakers. The Bulls turned the ball over twice during that stretch, which served as an introduction to what would be their sloppiest frame of the season. They proceeded to commit 10 turnovers in the second quarter alone – aka their most in any quarter this season.

Six different players coughed the ball up, including Matas Buzelis, who had back-to-back mistakes to help the Lakers take a 51-37 lead. What made the turnover trouble sting even more was how well the Bulls were shooting otherwise. They actually ended up going 10-17 in the quarter, which served as a reminder of Los Angeles' questionable defense. The team came into the night ranked 25th in defensive rating, meaning they have been even worse than Chicago on this end of the court.

Now, to their credit, they were able to clean up the mistakes after going into the locker room down 69-56. The team proceeded to commit only three more turnovers in the second half, but the damage was already done. Luka Doncic had a big enough lead to work with, especially against a Bulls defense that was struggling with the Lakers' physicality all night long.

Los Angeles finished the evening with a 23-12 advantage in points off turnovers. They also committed just 8 turnovers of their own, which marks their second-fewest of the season.

Getting Cocky From Three

Yes, the Chicago Bulls pushed their streak of 17+ threes to five games, but at what cost?

Throughout a lot of the evening, it felt like this group was leaning too heavily on the arc. Just because they have had recent success from deep doesn't mean it isn't worth establishing a presence at the rim. Heck, as we noted above, they kept things close to open the night largely because of their success penetrating the less-athletic Lakers D. They shot 6-8 in the paint over the first 12 minutes of action.

Fast forward to the start of the second half, however, and it almost felt like the Bulls were panicking about their deficit. Of their 25 shot attempts in that third quarter, 17 came from downtown. Again, they continued to settle for these jumpers despite a 6-7 performance in the paint.

To be fair, the added emphasis on long-range looks did help them briefly cut the lead to single digits, but they still shot a mere 6-17 from deep in the third quarter. They could have benefited from a more well-rounded offensive attack, especially as the Lakers continued to answer with their own big makes.

What was especially frustrating was how little Chicago tried to get to the free throw line. With how easily they were getting into the teeth of the Lakers' defense early on, it felt like they could have forced a few whistles. This is particularly true when we consider that they shot 13 of their 18 free throw attempts in the fourth quarter. It wasn't until the game was on the line that they changed their offensive approach and tried to match some of the Lakers' physicality.

Superstars Matter

The Chicago Bulls have been reminded time and again this season why superstars matter. We can add tonight to the list.

Luka Doncic and LeBron James shredded this team from the jump. The NBA's all-time leading scorer did the bulk of the heavy lifting in the first half, looking thrilled to be back in the house that Jordan built. He posted 20 points on 9-13 shooting in his first 13 minutes of action. James genuinely looked like his vintage self, flying for transition dunks and overpowering the Bulls' thinner wings for countless easy buckets.

Nevertheless, he only needed to score 4 more points the rest of the game for the Lakers to pull off the win. Why? Luka "Magic" Doncic.

As expected, the Bulls had no answer for the NBA's current leading scorer. He destroyed them in the second half with 29 points and finished the game with 46 points on 15-25 shooting from the field. Not only did he embarrass the Bulls with some incredibly crafty moves, but he drilled contested bucket after contested bucket. A good chunk of those also came from long range, where he fell just short of his career high in makes with an 8-14 shooting display.

You also have to give both James and Doncic credit for beating Chicago at their own game. This felt like a matchup where the Bulls' youthful legs should have been able to dominate in transition. Instead, the Lakers were the ones to use plenty of long rebounds and turnovers to win the fastbreak points battle 27-19.

This was high-IQ, superstar play at it's finest. If only we saw that more often in Chicago!

Chicago Bulls Player Grades

Jalen Smith of the Chicago Bulls — Jan 26, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Jalen Smith (25) reacts during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Coby White – A
Stats: 23 PTS, 6 AST, 5 REB

Coby White looked like the Chicago Bulls' most reliable offensive force. He bumped his streak of 20+ point games up to five and went 5-10 from downtown in an encouraging shooting night. I have a feeling more and more teams might be calling about his availability in the coming days.

Jalen Smith – B+
Stats: 13 PTS, 7 REB, 1 STL

Talking to the media at shootaround, Jalen Smith discussed how comfortable he has been playing alongside Nikola Vucevic at the four. And he sure looked the part tonight. The big man went 3-5 from deep and fought on the defensive end, even if it wasn't the most successful night.

Ayo Dosunmu – B+
Stats: 20 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL

While many Bulls settled for threes, Ayo Dosunmu brought the downhill urgency we know and love. He flew past the Lakers' veterans for a couple of big-time finishes and tried to take advantage of the minutes both James and Doncic weren't on the floor.

Nikola Vucevic – B-
Stats: 18 PTS, 11 REB, 5 AST

It's becoming increasingly difficult to grade Nikola Vucevic. He recorded another double and was undoubtedly a key part of the Bulls' shooting 52.0 percent from the field with his efficient shotmaking (6-10 FG) and passing. At the same time, he was the only member of the starting unit to finish in the red. You have to attribute that to the defensive end.

Matas Buzelis – C-
Stats: 11 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST

Considering the level of competition, I thought Matas Buzelis had a fine night. He coughed up a couple of ugly turnovers and obviously struggled with the strength of this Lakers lineup. I also would have liked to see him show a little more confidence offensively. He really stuck to a spot-up shooting role, with six of his eight field goal attempts coming from deep.