Right before Sunday’s contest before the Chicago Bulls at Crypto.com Arena, the Los Angeles Lakers received some very unexpected news. LeBron James was available for the game after sitting out for a month with a right foot tendon injury.
He had been upgraded from out to doubtful on Saturday, but few actually expected him to suit up.
Unfortunately, James’ return did not translate into a productive afternoon for the Lakers.
They fell behind by as many as 20 points in the second quarter. Although they drew within eight at halftime, they were never able to sustain any real momentum that would’ve made the game competitive. The result was a 118-108 loss.
The Bulls simply outhustled and outworked L.A. They shot 54% from the field and 45.2% from 3-point range while forcing 18 turnovers and turning them into 34 points. The Lakers contributed to their demise as well by only mustering five fast-break points and making just 67.9% of their free throws.
They will face the Bulls again on Wednesday, this time in Chicago, so they will have a couple of days to figure out how to get back on track after their three-game winning streak was snapped. That contest will be the first of five straight on the road for L.A.