Luka Doncic & Rui Hachimura Catch Fire Against Bulls

Coming off an impressive come-from-behind victory against the Dallas Mavericks, the Los Angeles Lakers continued their road trip against the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls marked the halfway point of the Lakers’ eight-game road trip and would be a test as their young and fast roster presents issues.

Chicago has been a middle-of-the-pack team during the 2025-26 season as they’ve been hovering around .500 and keeping pace in the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament race, but they can’t be taken lightly as they can score quickly. Such was the case in the first quarter as the Bulls got off to a strong start shooting the basketball, though it was the Lakers that eventually gained the upper hand.

Los Angeles looked like it would cruise to an easy win at halftime, but Chicago came out of the locker room swinging as they rallied to get within one point. Fortunately for the Lakers, they rediscovered their offense in the fourth quarter and went on to win 129-118 to earn their second consecutive victory.

Luka Doncic is the leading scorer in the NBA halfway through the regular season and he showed why against a Chicago defense that had no answers for him. Doncic was a menace everywhere on the floor, taking advantage of his defenders to either set up his own shot or find an open teammate.

Although the Bulls fought back in the third to threaten the Lakers’ lead, Doncic exploded to keep them at bay. With a bevy of 3-pointers and shots near the paint, Doncic kept Chicago from reclaiming the momentum in the second half.

Doncic finished the night as the game’s leading scorer with 46 points, but he also added 11 assists, and seven rebounds for good measure.

Since coming off the bench, Rui Hachimura has become an efficient scorer and that was the case again as he was the beneficiary of several open looks. Hachimura was nearly automatic from the perimeter, knocking down timely shots in both halves to keep the Bulls at bay.

Hachimura led all bench scorers with 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field including 4-of-5 from the 3-point line.

Lastly, LeBron James looked as spry as ever as he was a terror in transition. James chipped in with 24 points, five rebounds and three assists.

To cap off the night, Jaxson Hayes had one of his best highlights of the season, stealing the ball and then putting it between his legs for a dunk in transition.

What’s next for the Lakers

The Lakers road trip continues on Wednesday against the Cleveland Cavaliers before they take on the Washington Wizards on Friday. They’ll then play the New York Knicks on Sunday.