The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Chicago Bulls 141-132 on Thursday night, with LeBron James contributing 25 points and 12 assists. James was nominated to the NBA All-Star squad just hours before the game.
In addition to Anthony Davis’s 22 points and eight 3-pointers, D’Angelo Russell had 29 points for the team. Austin Reaves added 20 points and eight assists. With a season-high 17 points from Jarred Vanderbilt, the Lakers won their fourth game in a row while shooting 60.9% from the field.
The Lakers were able to withstand the Bulls’ 39-point fourth quarter thanks in large part to their season-high 112 points after three quarters, which they reached after making 15 of their 18 shots in the second quarter. They also held a 24-point advantage. A season-high for both the Lakers and the Bulls was 141 and 132 points, respectively.
“We’re simply playing in the correct manner,” James stated. “Everyone is enjoying themselves out there. We’ve got shooters on staff. People on our team are capable of making plays. Who is shooting makes no difference.
The Bulls, who are winless so far on their three-game West Coast tour, were led by 32-point scoring by DeMar DeRozan, a resident of the Los Angeles region. Six Bulls players scored in double digits. The scoring was rounded up by 25 points from Coby White, 20 from Nikola Vucevic, and 17 from Alex Caruso, a former Lakers guard.
“We definitely put ourselves in a bind,” Chicago coach Billy Donovan remarked. Their success or failure at the foul line decided the game. They got fouled too often by us. Their shooting was just outstanding. It was a rough end to the second quarter due to turnovers.
Wrapping out a 23-day period with just one game outside of Los Angeles, the Lakers went 6-6 with this victory. As the Grammys take over their downtown arena, they’ll be on a two-week road tour for six games.
Russell continued to throw a wrench into the Lakers’ plans for his future with another strong performance before the trade deadline, even if he didn’t score in the fourth. He also came up just short of his career best in 3-pointers. Even though the point guard’s deal is very flexible, the Lakers need to decide if they can obtain enough in return to improve their.500 season, especially if Russell continues his impressive run of recently.
“My confidence is through the roof, and I´m going to keep it there,” stated Russell. “All I do is do my best to round out Bron and AD. If I’m shooting or facilitating, or doing anything else, I just want to be able to complement them because I know they can win us games on their own.
On Thursday, James broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record and became the first player in NBA history to be named to the All-Star team 20 times. James, who passed Abdul-Jabbar for most career points scored in the NBA last season, will play in his 20th All-Star Game throughout the course of his 21 seasons in the league.
“I meаn, I’ve exceeded expectations in my career, so it’s just humbling,” said James. It’s great that you can keep getting these accolades as your career progresses, but I’ve already accomplished more in the NBA than I could have imagined. The rest is merely icing on the cake.
Donovan announced before the game that starting guard Zach LaVine will miss another week of action due to an ankle ailment. Earlier in the season, trade rumors routinely linked the UCLA product to the Lakers.