The Chicago Bulls hosted the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night, looking to pull off the regular season series sweep for the first time since the 2021-22 seas

The Bulls won outright as 10.5-point underdogs with LeBron James returning from injury to put the Lakers at full strength. The Bulls played perhaps their best game of the season, dropping 146 points on 17-of-41 shooting from behind the arc.

The Lakers, meanwhile, went from winning at Indiana on a tip-in by LeBron James at the buzzer on Wednesday to losing in gut-wrenching fashion. They also took it on the chin again from Chicago after getting blown out in Los Angeles on Saturday.

The Los Angeles Lakers have had a rollercoaster journey since the Chicago Bulls defeated them on their home court on March 22, 2025. They suffered a road loss to the Orlando Magic, following a buzzer-beater win against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.

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Josh Giddey isn’t a clutch hero. The Chicago Bulls guard can’t remember ever hitting a game-winner in his professional career. He admitted he isn’t particularly proficient at half-court shots, ranking relatively low among teammates when the Bulls jack up attempts while goofing around after practice.

Josh Giddey made a halfcourt heave at the buzzer to cap perhaps the wildest finish in the NBA this season, giving the Chicago Bulls a 119-117 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.

The Lakers had this one. They led 115-110 with 12.6 seconds left until a Patrick Williams 3-pointer had the Bulls down just two. Then Chicago stole the inbounds pass, Coby White drained another three, and Chicago led 116-115 with 6.1 remaining.