The Chicago Bulls delivered a statement 146-115 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday night. Despite the return of LeBron James (groin) and Rui Hachimura (knee) to the lineup, the Lakers were outscored 81-53 in the second half, marking their second straight loss.
While the Bulls dominated the game, Josh Giddey stole the spotlight with a historic all-around performance. The forward finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds, 17 assists, and eight steals, becoming the first player in NBA history to record such a stat line. Additionally, he became the first Bulls player since Michael Jordan to tally at least eight steals in a game.
Giddey also found himself in a heated moment with Luka Doncic, who finished with 34 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. During the second half, Doncic was assessed a technical foul after catching Giddey with an elbow.
However, the Bulls forward had nothing but praise for the Mavericks superstar when asked about the incident after the game.
“I was trying to slow him down ’cause I think he’s one of the toughest covers in the league,” Giddey said.
Josh Giddey’s last experience with guarding Luka Dončić was in the playoffs against the Mavs, when he was often hunted for switches.
He took pride in his improvement as the primary defender on Luka tonight.
Talked about the matchup – and that thrown elbow: pic.twitter.com/qci88IenNW
Josh Giddey’s last experience with guarding Luka Dončić was in the playoffs against the Mavs, when he was often hunted for switches.
He took pride in his improvement as the primary defender on Luka tonight.
Talked about the matchup — and that thrown elbow: pic.twitter.com/qci88IenNW
— Julia Poe (@byjuliapoe) March 23, 2025
“I enjoyed the matchup. Experiences like that are going to make you better, and obviously, the defensive side of the ball is something I want to keep getting better at.”
With the win, the Bulls improved to 31-40, solidifying their play-in tournament hopes in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, the Lakers (43-27) slipped to fourth in the West and will look to bounce back when they hit the road to face the Orlando Magic on Monday.
