Fans at the United Center always show up a little differently for LeBron James.
Monday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers marked the latest chapter in the long iteration of Chicago’s relationship with the NBA’s greatest star. The stands were dotted with an abnormal amount of yellow and purple as Lakers fans crowded the railing for a glimpse at their favorite out-of-town players.
In better years, this relationship meant that Bulls fans showed up ready to cheer against James. That remained true for much of Monday’s game. All they needed was a little fuel on the fire.
And despite sinking into an early 20-point deficit, the Bulls gave it to the Lakers in spurts throughout the fourth quarter. When Matas Buzelis threw a ball off James while tumbling out of bounds on defense to convert a change of possession. When Kevin Huerter drew an offensive foul when the Lakers tried to push their luck in transition by baiting the larger forward into pushing his arm into the guard’s neck. When the Bulls cut the lead down to three points with just under six minutes remaining.
But in a game defined by its stars, the Bulls simply couldn’t keep up. The Lakers didn’t even need their heroics to come from James. Luka Dončić handled the closing shift instead, burying the Bulls with a handful of late 3s to fend off any last attempt at a comeback. Jaxson Hayes delivered the final body blow of the night, throwing down an Eastbay dunk in transition after stealing a ball off Josh Giddey to put the Lakers up 14 points with just under three minutes remaining.
Dončić finished with 46 points — an almost pedestrian performance from an All-Star averaging 33.4 points per game — to end the Bulls’ four-game winning streak with a 129-118 loss.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James reacts after he was called for a foul during the second half against the Chicago Bulls in Chicago, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
“I think we did a lot of good things tonight,” guard Coby White said. “We shot the ball really well. It just happened they got a guy named Luka who had 46 points.”
In the final minute, the Bulls faced a bleak revelation as Lakers fans rumbled the arena with a collective chant calling for Bronny James to enter the game — their home court was not their own, at least for one night.
Here are three takeaways from the loss.
1. Coughing it up.
The Bulls handed the game over to the Lakers in the second quarter with a complete collapse of organization on offense.
Chicago scored 25 points in the second quarter. Los Angeles scored 14 points off turnovers alone in the same span. This margin of mistakes and missed scoring opportunities sank the Bulls into a 20-point deficit, although they were able to scrape that disparity down to 13 points by the end of the half. Matas Buzelis and Coby White especially struggled with giveaways, turning the ball over twice on the same play midway through the quarter.
Josh Giddey and Ayo Dosunmu combined for 15 points off the bench in the second quarter, but the rest of the Bulls offense grinded down to a bitter halt.
2. White hot streak.
Chicago Bulls guard Coby White shoots over Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes during the second half in Chicago, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
The Bulls fueled a short sprint of success — winning their last four games to dip back over .500 for the first time since November — in large part due to the volume and accuracy of their 3-point shooting. Chicago shot 46.9% from behind the arc to knock down 83 total 3s over that four-game winning streak.
That shooting cooled slightly against the Lakers — going only 8-for-27 in the second half — but the Bulls still managed to land 18 3-pointers off 36.7% shooting.
3. Load management looming.
The Bulls are about to embark on a grueling final stretch of play before the All-Star break, featuring a pair of back-to-back series that will add up to four games in five days. This will be especially challenging for the backcourt due to the loss of Tre Jones.
Both White and Giddey remain under minutes restrictions. White is closer to his typical playing load — logging 31 minutes against the Lakers — and expects to play in at least one set of back-to-back games. But Giddey is still coming off the bench to accommodate a 24-minute playing time restriction, a change that is not expected to lift this week.
Bonus: Benny’s new number.
Chicago Bulls guard Dalen Terry hugs Benny the Bull during warmups on Friday, Dec. 26, 2025, at the United Center in Chicago. (Dominic Di Palermo/Chicago Tribune)
The retirement of Derrick Rose’s number ushered in another change for the Bulls — a new number for the team’s mascot, Benny.
Benny the Bull has worn the No. 1 jersey since he first debuted with the team in 1969. But retired jersey numbers apply to everyone, including bright red anthropomorphized steers. So on Monday, Benny unveiled the new jersey number that he will wear for the foreseeable future: No. 99.