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[Saba Sports News] The Chicago Bulls continued their strong West Coast swing with a dominant 146–115 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.
Fresh off a solid performance in Sacramento, the Bulls came into Crypto.com Arena and handled business — led by a historic night from Josh Giddey.
Giddey recorded a monster triple-double: 15 points, 10 rebounds, 17 assists, and eight steals. With that stat line, he became the first player in NBA history to post 15+ points, 10+ rebounds, 15+ assists, and 8+ steals in a single game.
He also took on the tough defensive assignment of guarding Luka Doncic — a challenge he embraced.
“I was excited, I haven’t really had that opportunity to match up against a player like that in my career before,” Giddey said via the team’s website. “It’s nice to be able to take on that matchup and try to make it tough for him. Big win on the road, needed it.”
The game marked LeBron James’ return to the Lakers lineup after a groin injury sidelined him for six games. But even with L.A. back at full strength, the Bulls came out locked in — perhaps even more motivated.
Giddey said he found out earlier in the day that he’d be guarding Doncic, and the matchup had him fired up.
“I was like, ‘Gee, I’ve never really had an assignment like that before in the NBA,’ and it’s something I’ve always wanted,” Giddey told *Chicago Sports Network’s* K.C. Johnson. “To guard the best players in the league. He had 40 or something, but that’s the best way to learn as a defender — and obviously that’s something I want to get better at.”
With the Bulls battling for position in the play-in tournament, every win matters. And wins like this — on the road, against a fully healthy title contender — could provide a crucial confidence boost heading into the season’s final stretch.
Giddey’s performance wasn’t the only bright spot. Coby White stayed hot, notching another 20+ point game — his 12th straight — and continuing his strong push to close the season.
If the Bulls can maintain this level of play, they may not just make the play-in — they could make some serious noise in the postseason.