Los Angeles Lakers (41-25) beat Chicago Bulls (27-39) 142-130 at home on Thursday, March 12 in a shootout, with the two teams combining for 272 points.
The game, quarter by quarter
The teams matched each other with 26 points apiece in the first quarter, leaving it level at 26. The Lakers moved in front with a 41-36 second quarter, carrying a 5-point lead into halftime.
The Lakers won the third 41-36 to create some separation, taking a 10-point lead into the fourth. The Lakers took the fourth 34-32; the Lakers finished the job for a 142-130 regulation win.
What decided it
The Lakers took better care of the ball, turning it over on 8.7% of possessions compared with 14.3% for the Bulls. The Lakers got more from their shots, finishing at 64.1% effective field-goal shooting compared with 61.6% for the Bulls. Those extra possessions were crucial.
At roughly 104 possessions per team, the Lakers produced 136.4 points per 100 possessions to 124.8 for the Bulls.
The Bulls' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 34-5.
Who made the difference
Luka Doncic was the game's biggest individual force for LAL: 51 pts, 10 reb, 9 ast, 3 stl on 17-31 shooting. His Game Score of 46.5 led everyone. His team was +15 with him on the floor.
Josh Giddey led the Bulls with 27 pts, 8 reb, 15 ast on 10-17 shooting, good for a 28 Game Score.
Deandre Ayton (23 pts, 10 reb, 1 ast), Luka Doncic (51 pts, 10 reb, 9 ast), and Josh Giddey (27 pts, 8 reb, 15 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Lakers about a 83% chance.
Across the last 3 meetings in our records, Chicago Bulls lead 2-1.
The Lakers are now 41-25, and the Bulls are 27-39. The Lakers last five before this game: W-L-W-W-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.