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Anthony Davis gets a double-double with 38 points, 10 rebounds, and adds 4 assists

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Anthony Davis Game Highlights 03-29-23

LeBron James finished with 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists against the Bulls

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LeBron James Game Highlights 03-29-23

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Lakers at Bulls Game Highlights 03-29-23

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Photos: Lakers at Bulls (03/29/23)

Darius Soriano

After losing to the Bulls on Sunday, the Lakers bounced back and extracted some payback with a 121-110 victory in Chicago on Wednesday night. The win brings the Lakers back to .500 on the season and gets them off to a good start on their five-game road trip.

The Lakers welcomed D'Angelo Russell back to the court this game, and with his return the team debuted a new starting lineup featuring Russell, Austin Reaves and Jarred Vanderbilt flanking LeBron and Anthony Davis. Despite this group's newness -- they'd logged only a handful of minutes together heading into this game -- they came together quickly, setting the tone against the Bulls in both halves to the lead to the team to the victory.

The foursome of Russell, LeBron, Reaves, and Davis all scored in double figures on the night, but it was AD's performance that led the way. In the return to his hometown, Davis dominated Chicago to the tune of 38 points (13-20 shooting) and 10 rebounds to go along with four assists, two steals, and two blocks. Davis was everywhere on both ends of the floor, dunking the ball with force offensively and then saving baskets with big blocks on the other end defensively.

Coming off Sunday's game that featured only eight field goal attempts, AD looked determined to not let a repeat performance happen in this one. Aggressive from the outset and really looking to take advantage of his size advantage inside, AD not only attacked off the dribble and out of the post, but went to the offensive glass with force, grabbing five total and contributing to the Lakers massive advantage on the backboards (45 to 32) and in second chance points (29 to 6).

In just his second game back from injury, LeBron showed off a greater rhythm on both ends of the floor, joining AD with a high-level performance that the Bulls did not have many answers for. LeBron scored 25 points on 10-19 shooting while grabbing seven rebounds and dishing four assists.

Showing off exquisite shot making from all over the floor, LeBron canned pull up jumpers and fadeaways out of the post alike, all while leaving the defense flustered.  And when transition opportunities were presented, LeBron seized them with his typical vigor, racing up court for easy finishes with a rhythm and flow as though he'd been back for weeks rather than just the days it's actually been.

While LeBron and AD dominated the front court, Reaves and Russell dominated from the guard spots. Russell, like LeBron, played with a steadiness that belied his missed time, tallying 17 points while connecting on seven of his 12 shot attempts to go along with four rebounds and four assists.

Austin, meanwhile, scored 19 points, missing only one of his nine shots from the field and none of his four shots from the foul line, for a nearly perfect night. Add in a team-high five assists, and he was both scoring threat and playmaker for a Lakers team that seemed to have those qualities in abundance in their starting lineup.

On the Bulls side, they fought valiantly and made inroads multiple times over the course of the game against some of the Lakers bench units. Nikola Vucevic led Chicago with 29 points and 12 rebounds, while DeMar DeRozan (22 points) and Zach LaVine (16 points) also chipped in with double digit scoring nights. Add in good production from Coby White (17 points) and Ayo Dosunmu (12 points), and the Bulls never let the game get too far out of reach by continuing to play hard and showing some timely shot making.

But the Lakers core four of LeBron, AD, Reaves, and Russell  -- both together and when staggered more in the 2nd half -- proved to be too much and always seemed to counter the Bulls with a run of their own to keep their opponent at arm's distance. And that was all they needed to pull away late to win the game.

The Lakers will look to build on this performance and establish some momentum when they visit the Timberwolves for one of the more important games of their season on Friday.

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Anthony Davis, New Starting Lineup Carry Lakers to Win in Chicago

For the second time in four days, the Lakers (37-38) take on the Bulls (36-39), looking to get revenge from their Sunday matchup and to start their five-game road trip off on the right foot. The game tips at 5:00 p.m. PT on Spectrum SportsNet and 710 ESPN radio.

Below are three things to know ahead of the matchup:

A ONE-GAME SAMPLEAfter LeBron James made his surprising return to the lineup on Sunday, D'Angelo Russell is likely to join him Monday night as the Lakers have listed him as probable to return to the lineup after missing the last two contests with right hip soreness.

Russell's return would allow the Lakers to field their most complete roster in weeks, only missing Mo Bamba who continues to sit out after suffering a right ankle sprain on March 5th.

Should Russell play, it will mark only the 3rd game he and LeBron will share the floor together, and only their 2nd in which they would see meaningful minutes as a duo after Russell sprained his ankle early in the 2/23 game vs. the Warriors that cut their court time together short.

In that lone game both Russell and LeBron played together for extended minutes, the Lakers beat the Pelicans handily, led by a strong performance from their starting lineup anchored by LeBron, Anthony Davis, and Russell. When those three shared the court, the Lakers boasted a +12.1 net rating and controlled the game defensively while hinting at the type of offensive versatility the team can have with their primary shot creators all playing together.

Building on that initial performance and forging as much chemistry as possible among that trio is of major importance as the team looks to close the season strong in their hunt for a postseason berth.

SLOWING IT DOWNThe season-long stats will tell you the Laker play at the 3rd fastest pace in the league, averaging nearly 102 possessions a game -- just a shade below the Thunder and Warriors. But, those numbers don't tell the story of a Lakers team that has slowed its pace considerably in recent weeks.

Over their last 15 games, the Lakers have dipped below the 100 possessions a game mark, with a pace of 99.6 -- placing them right in the middle of the NBA at 15th fastest over that stretch. Related to playing at a slower pace, the Lakers have also seen a decline in both their fastbreak points per game and their points scored in the paint per game over that same stretch:

Getting LeBron back can and will help both sets of these numbers. As one of the NBA's best transition players and a rim-seeking scorer in both the open and half court, he can singlehandedly lift a team's production in both areas. And getting Anthony Davis more involved offensively -- AD had eight shot attempts vs. the Bulls on Sunday -- can also help, particularly for paint scoring.

All of these numbers are connected, though. So, if the Lakers hope to climb back up the ranks of paint scoring and fastbreak points, getting back to playing with more pace than they have lately is one place to start.

REMATCH WITH BULLSSunday's loss against the Bulls came about for many reasons, but key among them were the Bulls taking advantage of the Lakers turnovers (34 points on 18 TO's) and the key run they went on to begin the 2nd quarter where they ballooned their lead to double digits behind excellent outside shooting and offensive rebounding.

In looking forward to today's game, cleaning up these specific areas can go a long way towards changing the outcome. Accounting for their ability to pressure the ball and their want to jump passing lanes while tracking the Bulls' shooters while gang rebounding on the defensive glass vs. their bench groups are important measures that can be taken in pursuit of these goals.

Additionally, seeking out ways to pressure the paint and score inside can help loosen up the Bulls (more recently) stingy defense. Getting Anthony Davis more involved against Chicago's center rotation, leveraging LeBron's size advantage in the post against some of Bulls smaller wing defenders, and using the extra attention both draw are potential ways to break through vs. their high-pressure defensive approach.

On the other side of the floor, the Lakers' defensive plan still begins with slowing down Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. LaVine was excellent in Sunday's matchup, and finding ways to better contain him off the dribble are a priority. Similarly, DeRozan shot efficiently on his jumpers, but continuing to challenge and contest those shots while trying to limit his touches overall (only 13 field goal attempts on Sunday) is a worthwhile approach.

Game

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