Luka Doncic and LeBron James led the Los Angeles Lakers to a 129-118 win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday.
James set the tone early, scoring 20 points in the first half at 41 years old, before Doncic took over in the second half.
Doncic delivered a dominant performance with 46 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists, shooting 15-of-25 from the field as the Lakers secured the win. James added 24 points and five rebounds.
Rui Hachimura chipped in 23 points, while Marcus Smart finished with 12.
For Chicago, Coby White led the way with 23 points, six assists and five rebounds. Nikola Vucevic added 18 points and 11 rebounds, but the Bulls were unable to mount a late rally at home.
Fans reacted across social media to James’ explosive first half and Doncic’s massive scoring night Monday.
With the win, the Lakers improved to 28-17 and moved into a tie with the Houston Rockets at eight games back from first in the Western Conference. The Bulls fell to 23-23 and remained ninth in the Eastern Conference.
Los Angeles built a 13-point halftime lead behind 20 points from James. Doncic added 17 points before the break, and Hachimura chipped in nine. For Chicago, White had 11 points at halftime, while Jalen Smith added 10.
The Lakers carried a 104-89 lead into the fourth and pulled away down the stretch behind Doncic, who poured in 29 points in the second half to secure the 11-point victory.
Los Angeles will look to keep its momentum rolling Wednesday when it continues its road trip against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
