LeBron James (right) became the first NBA player to surpass 50,000 combined points earlier this month [Reuters]
The returns of LeBron James and Rui Hachimura could not save the Los Angeles Lakers from a sixth defeat in nine NBA games as they were well beaten by the Chicago Bulls on Saturday.
James made his Lakers comeback after seven games out with a groin injury while Hachimura had missed 12 matches with a knee problem.
But they could not prevent the Lakers losing 146-115 – with Chicago running up their highest score of the season to improve their record to 31-40.
Coby White had 36 points for the Bulls and rookie Matas Buzelis added 31, while 22-year-old Australian Josh Giddey claimed his 15th triple-double – 15 points, 17 assists and 10 rebounds.
Luka Doncic led Los Angeles (43-27) with 34 points – 29 in the first half – while James scored 17, and they cut the score to 65-64 at the start of the third quarter, but the Bulls had racked up a 104-89 lead going into the fourth.
Antetokounmpo inspires Bucks fightback
Elsewhere in Saturday’s match-ups, Giannis Antetokounmpo notched 32 points and 17 rebounds as the Milwaukee Bucks rallied from a 14-point deficit to win 114-108 at the Sacramento Kings.
The Golden State Warriors remained without leading scorer Stephen Curry, because of a pelvis injury, as they lost 124-115 at the Atlanta Hawks, with Trae Young scoring 25 points in his his 41st double-double of the season.
Tyrese Haliburton returned from a three-game absence to help the Indiana Pacers beat the Brooklyn Nets 108-103, with team-mate Pascal Siakam scoring a game-high 26 points.
Karl-Anthony Towns claimed 31 points and 11 rebounds to help the New York Knicks win 122-103 at home to the Washington Wizards.
