The Chicago Bulls annihilated the Los Angeles Lakers, who got LeBron James back after he had been out with a groin injury, crushing them by a score of 146-115.
With this latest win, the Bulls move to ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings and are a game-and-a-half behind the Orlando Magic for the eighth seed. With their current play, the Bulls could make the playoffs.
The Bull’s win over the Lakers came off the backs of two of their young stars, Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey, who single-handedly stole the show with his historical performance.
Chicago Bulls two standout stars
In the Bull’s dominant victory over the Lakers, Buzelis was the Bulls’ second-leading scorer, scoring 31.0 points on 12-18 shooting. This is the first time Matas has scored 31.0 points in his career.
“Matas Buzelis’ first 30-piece of his young career.”
Matas Buzelis' first 30-piece of his young career.
31 points | 12-18 FG | 5-10 3PT pic.twitter.com/YES5FOgH88
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) March 23, 2025
Giddey also added his name to the game ledger by having a historical night, where he became the first player in NBA history to have the stat line he had.
Giddey’s stat line: 15.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 17.0 assists, 8.0 steals
TAKE A BOW, JOSH GIDDEY
15 points
10 rebounds
17 assists
8 stealsThe first player in NBA HISTORY with this stat line. pic.twitter.com/aNwzl7290f
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) March 23, 2025
This marked Giddey’s fourth game with a triple-double, which has him tied for second all-time in Bulls historywith Scottie Pippen and behind the great Michael Jordan, who has the most with 15, which he set in 1988-89. Giddey was close to having a quadruple-double, which hasn’t been done in the NBA since Patrick Robinson did it back in 1994 against the Detroit Pistons.
Giddey is adding to his value
This performance by the 22-year-old Giddey is increasing his value for this summer when he’ll become a restricted free agent. The Bulls acquired Giddey before this season from the Oklahoma City Thunder, where they swapped Alex Caruso for him, and it appears the Bulls are winning the deal.
March has been Giddey’s best month so far, even though he’s played in five games, having season-highs in points (22.8) and rebounds (9.8). Post All-Star break, Giddey has shown his dominance, averaging 23.0 points, 8.3 assists, 10.5 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 34.6 minutes.
Giddey is consistently putting up these numbers night in and night out and is showing why he should be extended a contract.
Further development for Buzelis
Buzelis’s scoring performance last night against the Lakers is yet another sign of growth to start his NBA career.
Buzelis has had an interesting season, from beginning the year playing very few minutes to finally being elevated to the starting lineup; it’s been impressive to see how well the 20-year-old has handled the pressure.
Matas is also having a great month of March. In 10 games this month, he’s averaging 11.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists, with 0.9 blocks a game in 25.0 minutes.
Two core players to build around
Giddey and Matas are both two of the Bull’s young stars that, in this current rebuild, should be looked at as pieces to build around.
Pairing Giddey’s ability to find the open man and Matas’s ability to score and dunk the ball could be an effective combo.
The Bulls need to start considering who they want to build this franchise around and the direction they want to head.
With two solid options in Giddey and Buzelis as their foundation, it’s a great place to start.
Chicago Bulls’ Matas Buzelis makes bold statement after 146-115 win over Lakers
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