CHICAGO (AP) — LeBron James scored 25 points in his return to the starting lineup as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Chicago Bulls 121-110 Wednesday night.
James also grabbed seven rebounds and four assists in 31 minutes in his second game after being sidelined for a month with a torn tendon in his right foot. The four-time MVP scored 19 points in Sunday’s 118-108 loss to Chicago in only his second appearance as a reserve in his 20-year NBA career.
Los Angeles (38-38) began their five-game journey with their fourth win in five games total, while fighting for a Western Playoff spot. Hometown hometown Anthony Davis scored 38 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and D’Angelo Russell had 17 points.
Nikola Vucevic scored 29 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for Chicago, their second straight loss. DeMar DeRozan scored 22 points, Kobe White had 17 points and had 9 assists.
The Bulls (36-40) are 10th in the Eastern Conference, clinging to last place in the tournament.
Dank LaVine got Chicago within seven seconds with 56.7 seconds left in the third quarter. But Los Angeles has pulled back quickly lately.
Dennis Schroeder’s three-point game made it 97-79 with 8:22 left, capping the Lakers’ 12-3 lead. Davis connected on his only 3-point attempt with 6:07 remaining, lifting Los Angeles to a 105-87 lead.
Austin Reeves added 19 points for the Lakers on 7-for-8 shooting.
After leading as many as 17 in the first quarter, Los Angeles ended the first half on a 10-0 lead for a 59-51 halftime lead. James made four foul shots and hit the ball on the drive.
Tip-ins
Lakers: Russell started (right hip pain) after being sidelined for the previous two games. He went 7-for-12 from the field.
Bulls: C Andre Drummond missed the game due to personal reasons. Drummond Publishing Twitter On Tuesday that he was deleting his social media apps to focus on his mental health. … J. Alex Caruso (left foot soreness) is back in the starting lineup after missing Monday’s 124-112 loss to the Clippers. … Vucevic scored Chicago’s first 13 points of the game.
the next
Lakers: In Minnesota on Friday night. The Lakers are 0-2 against the Timberwolves this season.
The Bulls: In Charlotte on a Friday night. Bulls are 7-3 in their last 10 games against the Hornets.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba And https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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