The Los Angeles Lakers began a challenging three-game road trip on Wednesday night against the Chicago Bulls.

The Lakers were playing at full strength for the first time this season thanks to Gabe Vincent’s return from his knee injury, but it didn’t matter because they still lost 124-108.

Early in the game, point guard Coby White—who has been playing incredibly well in Zach LaVine’s absence—made a midrange jumper to put the Lakers ahead, and LeBron James followed with a layup.

James was on fire early on, giving the Lakers a 9–4 lead and forcing the Bulls to call a timeout with a thunderous dunk and three-point shot.

Following the timeout, White and Alex Caruso each drained three-pointers and two-pointers to spark a 10-0 run that Anthony Davis eventually stopped. Chicago reacted admirably.

But the Bulls were burning, and the Lakers stayed cold, giving Chicago its first double-digit lead.

When Vincent first checked in, there were three minutes left in the first quarter, and he immediately contributed an assist. Conversely, the Lakers struggled in the second quarter and were behind 33–22 at the intermission.

The Bulls didn’t show any signs of slowing down in the second quarter, as Javon Carter scored three straight three-pointers to extend the lead to fifteen.

James gave the Lakers new life with a 13-0 run that included threes from Cam Reddish and Prince, but there was still a long way to go.

Prince provided the Lakers with a much-needed offensive spark by making the Bulls pay for leaving him open at the 3-point line time and time again.

In the opening half of Wednesday night’s game in Chicago, Lakers guard Gabe Vincent (right) defends against DeMar DeRozan of the Chicago Bulls. Vincent’s left knee effusion caused him to miss seven weeks of work. (Image via Getty Images / Michael Reaves)

Los Angeles cut the lead to two points before Chicago concluded the quarter on a strong note and led 61-55 at the half.

With back-to-back and-one baskets in the third quarter, Davis and James gave the Lakers the lead. However, the momentum was completely stopped when Davis injured his ankle and had to exit the game, allowing the Bulls to take back the lead.

Even though the Lakers committed some reckless turnovers, Rui Hachimura’s clutch three-pointer at the buzzer kept them within twelve points at 90-78 going into the fourth quarter.

Lineups, injuries, and broadcast details for Wednesday’s Lakers vs. Bulls game

Despite looking as though the ankle injury was limiting him, Davis managed to rally early in the fourth quarter. The Bulls were still making a lot of free throws from outside the area, even though James and Reaves were scoring enough to keep the game from getting out of control.

As has frequently happened in the past, DeRozan decimated his home club with a variety of midrange jumpers, and the Bulls’ supporting group also made important deep plays.

The Lakers tried to recover, but they couldn’t muster enough stops to cut the deficit and ultimately dropped another devastating game.

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