Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Luka Doncic produced a 46-point masterpiece as the Los Angeles Lakers snapped the Chicago Bulls’ four-game winning streak with a 129-118 victory on the road on Monday. Doncic rattled in eight three-pointers on 15-of-25 shooting from the field and finished with seven rebounds and 11 assists to lead an impressive Lakers effort at the United Center. LeBron James chipped in with 24 points, five rebounds, and three assists, while Rui Hachimura delivered an eye-catching cameo off the bench with 23 points from 9-of-11 shooting. The win was another encouraging result for the Lakers after a 116-110 defeat of the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday.
“We did a great job in the first half, kind of relaxed in the third quarter – we’ve got to work on the third quarters – but overall, a great game by everybody,” Doncic said after a win that lifts the Lakers to 28-17 in the Western Conference. Coby White led the scoring for Chicago with 23 points, while Ayo Dosunmu had 20 off the bench. The Lakers now head to Ohio to face the Cleveland Cavaliers for the next stop on their road trip on Wednesday.
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The Cavaliers warmed up for that encounter with a 114-98 defeat of the Orlando Magic thanks to Donovan Mitchell’s 45-point display. Evan Mobley backed Mitchell with 20 points while Paolo Banchero led the Orlando scoring with 37 points.
In the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics led from start to finish in a 102-94 defeat of the Portland Trail Blazers. Payton Pritchard (23 points) and Jaylen Brown (20) led the Celtics’ scoring as second-placed Boston improved to 29-17 to remain in pursuit of conference leaders Detroit (33-11).
In other games on Monday, Brandon Miller scored 30 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead Charlotte’s 130-93 blowout of Philadelphia as severe weather forced early starts for two NBA games. Opening tipoffs were moved to the afternoon for the Hornets’ home victory and Atlanta’s 132-116 triumph over visiting Indiana after a severe winter storm on Sunday that dumped ice and snow over most of the United States. The Hornets, 19-28, stretched their win streak to three games while the 76ers fell to 24-21.
Miller made 9-of-12 shots from the floor, including 6-of-9 from three-point range, and was 6-of-6 from the free throw line to lead the Hawks, who had seven other double-figure scorers but none over 13 points. Kelly Oubre Jr. led the Sixers with 17 points, with Tyrese Maxey – third in NBA scoring with 29.9 points a game – managing only six points on 3-of-12 shooting.
In Atlanta, C.J. McCollum came off the bench to produce 23 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and three steals to spark the Hawks. Dyson Daniels added 22 points and nine assists while Nickeil Alexander-Walker had 21 points for Atlanta. Cameroon’s Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 26 points and nine rebounds. The Hawks improved to 23-25 with their ninth home victory in 22 games.
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