Lakers tame Bulls to end five-game skid
LeBron James had 36 points and 10 rebounds, and the visiting Los Angeles Lakers overcame their lowest-scoring first quarter of the season to end a five-game losing streak with a 123-107 win against the Chicago Bulls yesterday morning (Singapore time).
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 24 points off the bench, Kyle Kuzma scored 21 and Rajon Rondo had 14 points and 10 assists for the Lakers.
Robin Lopez scored 20 points, Otto Porter Jr. had 19 points and nine rebounds and Kris Dunn finished with 18 points for Chicago.
The Lakers scored 16 points in the first quarter and the Bulls closed with an 11-1 run to take an 18-point lead into the second quarter.
The lead expanded to as much as 20 before the Lakers began chipping away and got back within single digits at 38-29 on a three-pointer by Moritz Wagner.
Los Angeles got the deficit down to four points with 2:07 left in the half before Chicago took a 60-55 lead into the break. The Lakers went ahead for the first time since making the first basket of the game when Kuzma put in a lay-up for a 66-64 lead with 8:48 left in the third quarter.
The Bulls moved back out in front by eight points, but Los Angeles reeled them back in and scored the final 16 points of the third quarter to take a 98-84 lead into the fourth.
Chicago scored the first eight points of the fourth quarter and got as close as 100-96 with 8:38 left, but the Lakers put together a 10-3 run to go back ahead by double figures for good.
The Bulls shot eight-for-12 from three-point range in the first half and 11-for-27 for the game. - REUTERS
OTHER RESULTS: New Orleans 113 Milwaukee 130, Indiana 103 New York 98, Philadelphia 106 Cleveland 99, Dallas 105 San Antonio 112, Denver 133 Minnesota 107, LA Clippers 104 Portland 125
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