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- Luka Doncic scored 46 points with 11 assists and seven rebounds to lead the Lakers past the Chicago Bulls129-118.
- The Lakers improved to 28-17 and won for the fourth time in five games.
- The Bulls mounted a comeback in the third quarterbut the Lakers held on behind Doncic’s 32 second-half points and Rui Hachimura’s hot shooting.
CHICAGO — Luka Doncic skippedshimmied and shot. The Lakers dunkedhollered and won.
Doncic dazzled yet again with 46 points11 assists and seven rebounds in the Lakers’ 129-118 win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday. The Lakers (28-17) notched their fourth win in five games. It was his third game in the last four with at least 10 assists — all wins.
The Lakers are less than two weeks removed from losing five of six gamesa skid that prompted coach JJ Redick to challenge Doncic and LeBron James during a team meeting to look for their teammates more. The Lakers weren’t “trusting the pass” Redick said last week after the team’s loss to the Clippers.
Playing in Dallas for the second time since his blockbuster trade to the LakersLuka Doncic scores 33 points as the Lakers surge late in a 116-110 comeback win.
Doncic has responded with 11 assists in back-to-back games since the loss to the Clippers and the Lakers have had 26 assists in each of their previous two wins. Jamesin addition to 24 pointshad three assists Monday.
“They took it in a good way and that’s what they’ve been doing,” forward Rui Hachimura said of James’ and Doncic’s response to Redick’s message. “And thenwe’re winning. And then everybody gets touches and everybody shares a ball. It’s fun. That’s how basketball should be.”
Hachimura was one of the main beneficiariesscoring 23 points off the bench on nine-for-11 shooting with four three-pointers. Two weeks removed from a calf injury that kept him sidelined for six gamesHachimura has returned to his early-season formshooting 57.1% from the field in the last three games.
He hit consecutive threes to hold off a charge from the Bulls (23-23)who cut a 20-point Lakers lead to one with 6:42 left in the third quarter. Doncic played a role in both clutch shotsfirst whipping a one-handed pass behind his back across the court to Gabe Vincentwho shoveled the ball with one hand to Hachimura. Less than a minute laterDoncic drove into a crowd of three defenders in the paintjumped and fired a two-handed pass to Hachimura on the wing. The Lakers were safely ahead by nine points again.
Redick praised Doncic’s and James’ ability to make “simple” plays Mondayhelping the team keep its turnovers to just eight. But when the Slovenian point guard is at his besthe’s also making the spectacular plays that fire up his teammates.
“He’s an engine that’s fully on,” Redick said. “And he likes to create out thereand that’s a part of what makes him a great player. ... Not to say it doesn’t test your patience at timesbut you have to be willing to live with some of the stuff that he triesbecause more often than notyou’re going to get a great result.”
Doncicwho only took 25 shotsscored 29 points in the second half after dishing eight of his 11 assists in the first. He made six of 11 three-point attempts after halftimegrowing in confidence each time he snapped another early shot-clock heat check through the net. In the thirdhe mimicked shooting pistols after he laced one three-pointer. After anotherlate in the fourthhe skipped backward on defense away from the Bulls’ bench.
Doncic’s energy transferred to his teammates. James threw down two one-handed tomahawk dunks in the first half. Jaxson Hayesnot to be outdone by the 41-year-oldstole the ball and drove coast-to-coast for a between-the-legs dunk with 2:55 left to put a final exclamation point on the win.
The play left Doncic holding his hands together in front of his chest and exhaling in relief. Hachimuratrailing the play to Hayes’ rightwas yelling“Go Jax! Go Jax!”
But upon further reviewteammates didn’t seem particularly impressed with Hayes’ dunk. Hachimura said he’s seen Hayes perform his signature dunk much higher. Even the 7-foot center said he was scared he was going to get stuck on the rim. Sitting at his locker after the gameDoncic attested he could pull it off when he was a teenager.
Just another one of his show-stopping tricks.
