Some games feel big before tipoff. This one felt personal once Luka Doncic got rolling. The Lakers’ superstar put on a full-court scoring clinic, torching Chicago from deep, living at the line, and picking apart coverages like he had the answers to the test ahead of time.
Every time the Bulls threatened to make it interesting, Doncic had a counter, a step-back three, a bruising drive, or a laser to a cutting teammate. By the final horn, his 46-point eruption had powered a confident 129-118 win that felt more in control than the final margin suggests.
Luka Doncic: A+
Game Stats: 46 PTS, 7 REB, 11 AST, 3 TOV, 15-25 FG, 8-14 3PT, 8-12 FT, 38 MIN
Luka was insane as he knew he had to take control. He was scoring, making other players score, and looking for assists. Chicago used length, traps, and switches, but he was still destroying them. He was making shots at the end of the clock and breaking the Bulls’ spirit. Even though he had 3 turnovers, he was making assists on overhelps. Having Lukas on the other side of the court is making other teams and defenses lose a ton of sleep because offense like this is insane.
Rui Hachimura: A
Game Stats: 23 PTS, 2 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 9-11 FG, 4-5 3PT, 1-2 FT, 29 MIN
Rui Hachimura was a flamethrower off the bench. He spaced the floor perfectly alongside Doncic and punished every late closeout. His efficiency flipped the momentum in the second half, turning a competitive game into one that leaned L.A.’s way.
LeBron James: A-
Game Stats: 24 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 2 TOV, 9-19 FG, 1-4 3PT, 5-6 FT, 33 MIN
LeBron James played the role of steady co-star, picking his spots instead of forcing the spotlight. He bullied smaller defenders on switches and kept the offense organized when the game got choppy. While Luka handled the fireworks, LeBron handled the structure, and the balance worked beautifully.
Jaxson Hayes: A-
Game Stats: 8 PTS, 4 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 2 BLK, 3-4 FG, 2-2 FT, 23 MIN
Hayes, without requiring the ball, made a positive impact that was felt. He finished a couple of lobs, protected the rim, and cleaned up misses. His energetic minutes bode well for the Lakers, as they won the battle of athleticism inside.
Marcus Smart: B+
Game Stats: 12 PTS, 2 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 3-6 FG, 1-3 3PT, 5-7 FT, 32 MIN
Smart did the grind work. He took on the most difficult defensive assignments, made drives through all the contact, and just to keep the defense honest, shot just enough. Nothing attractive, just winning basketball.
Jake LaRavia: B+
Game Stats: 8 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST, 3 STL, 3-6 FG, 2-4 3PT, 33 MIN
LaRavia filled out the stat sheet in several important areas. He moved the rock, played the passing lanes defensively, and hit timely threes, which kept Chicago from rolling the defense to the stars. The numbers don’t pop, but he really made an impact in several areas.
Jarred Vanderbilt: B
Game Stats: 2 PTS, 7 REB, 2 AST, 1 TOV, 1-3 FG, 0-2 3PT, 17 MIN
Vanderbilt’s efforts were most felt defensively and on the boards. He went after loose balls, finagled his way in and out to help on the defense, and kept the second-chance opportunities to a minimum.
Deandre Ayton: C+
Game Stats: 6 PTS, 2 REB, 3-6 FG, 22 MIN
Deandre Ayton was really quiet in the offensive sets and did not get very many touches to help the team’s offensive flow, which was heavily perimeter-oriented. He did play well defensively, but did not find himself in an offensive groove at all.
Gabe Vincent: C
Game Stats: 1 REB, 3 AST, 0-2 FG, 0-1 3PT, 12 MIN
Vincent’s primary goal was to carry out the offense and run the plays. He was uncontested on several shot and he chose not to shoot, which was a good choice.
