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The NBA regular season continued as the Lakers defeated the Bulls 142-130 at home, securing a 4-game winning streak. In this game, the Lakers had a 7-0 start, but then their shooting touch cooled down with continuous misses, and the score was tied by the end of the first quarter. The Lakers' momentum in the second quarter was average, and they once fell behind. Fortunately, they increased their defensive intensity in the second half of the quarter, going on a 28-17 run to take a temporary 5-point lead at halftime. In the second half, the Lakers gradually exerted their strength, at one point extending the lead to over 20 points, but then their defense slacked off. Entering the final quarter, the Lakers' advantage was reduced to 11 points. In the fourth quarter, the Lakers' lead even dropped to single digits, but luckily they regained their defensive intensity, pulling away with a scoring surge. After that, the Lakers didn't give the Bulls any more chances and secured a steady victory. After the win, the Lakers' record improved to 41 wins and 25 losses. So where did the Lakers actually win this game? Perhaps the stats can give us some answers.
Luka Doncic shot 17 of 31 from the field, 9 of 14 from three-point range, and 8 of 9 from the free-throw line, dropping 51 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, and 1 turnover. Today, Doncic continued his hot shooting touch. His outside three-point shooting was on fire, hitting various step-backs and contested shots in defenders' faces, basically in an unguardable state. At the same time, Doncic didn't hold onto the ball too much in this game; he either finished directly, attacked immediately upon catching the ball, or handed it over to Reaves to handle. This allowed the rest of the Lakers to get as involved as possible, which was also a key reason why the Lakers played team basketball.
LeBron James shot 7 of 13 from the field, 0 of 2 from three, and 4 of 6 from the line, contributing 18 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, and 4 turnovers. Today, returning from injury, James was slow to find his rhythm. In the first half, his net rating was even negative, his offense completely lacked rhythm, and his defense was inefficient. Fortunately, James adjusted in time in the second half. His defensive reads were accurate, his rim protection appeared fierce, and his fast breaks were impressive. During the small-ball lineup minutes, James's off-ball cuts were sharp, and he gradually found a way to cooperate with Reaves and Doncic.
Austin Reaves shot 13 of 20 from the field, 4 of 7 from three, scoring 30 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, and 3 turnovers. Today, Reaves acted as a "lubricant". He could attack with the ball to relieve the pressure on Doncic, while constantly moving off the ball to stretch the opponent's defensive formation and running pick-and-rolls with James. Reaves' chemistry with LeBron goes without saying. He can both partner with Doncic to show dominance and perfectly cooperate with James, demonstrating his value to the Lakers.
Rui Hachimura shot 6 of 10 from the field, 3 of 5 from three, contributing 15 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 1 steal. Today, Hachimura's form was also outstanding. Although he couldn't bring a massive impact to the Lakers on the defensive end like Marcus Smart, Hachimura made up for it on offense. His open three-pointers were very consistent, his occasional mid-range isolations had a high success rate, and his mid-range jumper was stable—that was enough.
Deandre Ayton shot 10 of 13 from the field and 3 of 6 from the free-throw line, getting 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 1 assist. Today, Ayton played very tough. On the offensive end, he was highly efficient at finishing alley-oops and drawing fouls. The key was that on the defensive end, Ayton's rotations and help defense were very timely. Even if there was a missed assignment on the perimeter and the opponent drove past, Ayton could immediately step up to help and protect the rim. His rebounding control is strong, and his offensive rebounds gave the Lakers a huge margin for error. His performance gave the Lakers more confidence.
Off the bench, Luke Kennard shot 1 of 7 from the field, 1 of 5 from three, getting 3 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. Kennard's form was average today; he got some open looks but couldn't convert. It wasn't until the fourth quarter that Kennard started hitting three-pointers. However, he still worked hard and was able to space the floor.
As for the rest of the bench, including Jarred Vanderbilt, Jake LaRavia, and others, they didn't contribute much in scoring. Overall, the Lakers' bench played very actively, but their offensive efficiency was poor, which was also why the Lakers were caught up by the Bulls several times.
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