The Lakers were finally at full strength on Saturday with LeBron James and Rui Hachimura returning from their respective injuries. However, their lackluster ball protection and defensive lapses created an insurmountable deficit, resulting in a 146-115 blowout loss to the Chicago Bulls.
While James’ return after a two-week absence due to a strained left groin was a positive for the team, and Hachimura’s return from nearly a month-long absence due to left knee tendinopathy was also welcomed, the outcome served as a stark reminder of the Lakers’ precarious position with only 12 games remaining in the regular season.
The Lakers, sitting at 43-27, currently hold the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference, just 2½ games behind the No. 2 Houston Rockets. But they are also only three games ahead of the No. 7 LA Clippers, who are positioned as the top play-in tournament team in the West.
“We’ve got 12 games to position ourselves for the postseason,” James said after contributing 17 points on 7-of-16 shooting, along with 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 5 turnovers against the Bulls. “We can control our own destiny if we win games and avoid the play-in.”
Lakers head coach JJ Redick has emphasized that the team’s goal is to secure at least the No. 6 seed to allow a week of rest and preparation before the playoffs. The alternative, a play-in tournament situation, has been a familiar challenge in recent years for Los Angeles, who has faced the pressure of a must-win scenario three of the past four seasons.
“That’s a good way to look at it. We’ve got to start from scratch,” Redick said. “These next 12 games are crucial. It’s like we’ve run into a beaver’s dam in a flowing river. We’ve got to get the water flowing again.”
Unfortunately for the Lakers, they couldn’t get anything flowing against Chicago, especially in the second half, where they were outscored 81-53.
“The key for us is defense,” said Hachimura. “Our defense was awful. We didn’t execute our game plan, and they scored from everywhere—3-pointers, transition, layups, pick-and-roll. We just need to focus on defense.”
The Bulls had a balanced offensive attack, with all five of their starters scoring in double digits, led by Coby White’s 36 points. Rookie Matas Buzelis added a season-high 31 points, while Josh Giddey nearly posted a quadruple-double with 15 points, 17 assists, 10 rebounds, and 8 steals.
While the Lakers’ defense faltered, their offense wasn’t much better. Luka Doncic, who scored 29 points in the first half, finished with 34 points but also committed 7 turnovers. Los Angeles turned the ball over 21 times, leading to 27 points for the Bulls. “I can’t afford to lose the ball seven times,” Doncic acknowledged. “That’s way too many for me.”
Despite the loss, the Lakers cannot dwell on it for long. They have to quickly shift focus as they begin a four-game road trip starting Monday against the Orlando Magic, followed by games against Indiana, Chicago, and Memphis. Eight of the Lakers’ final 12 games will be on the road, with three back-to-back sets remaining. Furthermore, only four of their remaining games are against teams outside the top eight in either conference.
Even with the return of James and Hachimura, the Lakers’ roster isn’t completely back to full strength. Hachimura (who scored 5 points on 2-of-6 shooting with 2 rebounds in 18 minutes against Chicago) will be limited to 20 to 24 minutes per game moving forward. His knee is still only “70-80%” according to Hachimura. “My knee’s going to be like that for a while,” he said. “I can’t get back to 100% right away. I have to rest for a long time to get back to normal. But I don’t think we have that time, so we just have to manage it.”
James, meanwhile, hasn’t fully recovered from his groin injury. “I take it day by day,” he said. “I hope it’s behind me, but I don’t want to look too far ahead.”
For a team that has embraced competition under Redick’s leadership, how the Lakers respond to these challenges in the final weeks of the regular season will largely determine the course of their season.
“We’re in a great spot,” said Doncic. “Obviously, today wasn’t our best game, but we’re still in a good position. We’ve got to play hard every game to avoid the play-in and get the best seed possible.”
