Sports Writing (USA), Mar 26 (EFE) Zach LaVine, who overcame Nikola Vucevic’s mid-game ejection for two techniques.
James, who came off the bench for the second time in twenty years in the NBA, scored 17 points in a game in which sparks flew with Patrick Beverly, formerly of the Lakers and the Clippers, who provoked LeBron after scoring against his marking and crossing him out of ‘too low’ to be able to contain him.
LeBron did not respond to the provocations of a Beverly who ended the game also messing with his ex-fans to celebrate the victory of the Bulls.
The Lakers (37-38) had just achieved last Friday, beating the Oklahoma City Thunder after another two consecutive victories, putting themselves for the first time in 14 months with at least the same number of games won as lost and placing those from California with options to enter the ‘playoffs’.
The Chicago Bulls (36-38) had won 6 of their previous 8 games and had just beaten Portland on Friday (96-124).
Los Angeles had lost 5 of the 13 games that its star LeBron James was out after being injured on February 26 playing against the Dallas Mavericks.
LaVine added 32 points and had 2 rebounds and 4 assists while DeMar Derozan contributed the double double of 17 points, 6 rebounds, 10 assists and put on a hat. Coby White added 13 points, Andre Drummond 12 and Patrick Beverley 10.
James played off the bench for the second time in his 20 NBA seasons. The previous time, playing with the Cavaliers against the Pacers in December 2007, he had 17 points and 5 assists.
On Sunday, playing 29 and a half minutes, he had 19 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists. Also coming off the bench, Malik Beasley signed 6 triples and 18 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists, while Troy Brown Jr added another 18 points 6 rebounds, one assist and stole 2 balls and put 2 blocks. Center Anthony Davis had 15 points and Austin Reaves 13.
VUCEVIC EXPELLED FOR PROTESTING
Brown Jr opened the score with a triple in the first seconds of the game and with his second hit from outside the ring he tied at 9 before reaching the middle of the first set. Shortly after, the Los Angeles coach, Darvin Ham, returned to the court the expected James, who started losing possession with a bad pass.
LaVine, from consecutive innings, tied it at 17 and 19, and with less than 3 minutes remaining in the first segment, LeBron made his first basket after his return (21-19).
LaVine, with two free throws, again tied the match at 21, and after two consecutive triples by White and another basket from the paint coming off the bench, the Bulls finished the first set ahead (26-29).
In the first two minutes of the second segment, the Chicago team twice gained a 12-point lead, which thanks to two consecutive three pointers by point guard Ayo Dosunmu, 8 points from Drummond and a dunk from LaVine reached 17 points reaching halfway point. partial (37-54).
The visiting East continued to increase the gap to 20 despite two powerful dunks from Brown Jr and a three-pointer from Schroder.
Brown Jr reached his 15 triple points and LaVine answered him by hanging from the rim to tie in personal points and defend the Bulls’ advantage, which at halftime and after 4 free throws and a basket of 2 from James, was reduced to 8 points (55-63).
The center Nikola Vucevic, who had achieved four double doubles in the last five meetings between the two teams, was expelled from the game after committing a foul on James and protesting to the referee, who first whistled a technical foul, but the player continued to complain until he was called. they took off the field.
DECIDE LAVINE
James, from the bench, reached his 10 points in the first minutes of the third segment, but LaVine, on a run reaching his 21 points in the game, achieved a 21-point advantage reaching the middle of the quarter (60-81).
LaVine added 27 points in the first three quarters, in which the Bulls’ dominance was unquestionable (78-91).
DeRozan, who averaged 38 points against the Lakers last season, jumped onto the floor in the final quarter giving his all and, with a raid and two three-pointers in one minute, underlined his team’s 20-point lead.
Patrick Williams, from dunk, and Coby White and Derrick Jones Jr from triples, all three coming off the bench, continued to impose their dominance on the Bulls.
Two consecutive three-pointers by Beasley managed to cut the visitors’ lead to 8 with a minute and a half remaining in the game, but not another three-pointer from the Lakers’ substitute, his sixth in the game with 9 seconds remaining, could prevent the defeat of Californians at home (108-118).
Both teams will meet again on Wednesday in Chicago.
