Josh Giddey delivered the most dramatic moment of the season, draining a halfcourt shot at the buzzer to give the Chicago Bulls a 119-117 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.
Chicago (33-40) trailed by five with 12.6 seconds left before a frantic sequence saw Patrick Williams and Coby White hit back-to-back threes, setting the stage for Giddey’s improbable game-winner.
The Australian guard finished with a triple-double, posting 25 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists to lead the Bulls to their ninth win in 11 games. White scored a team-high 26 points, while Kevin Huerter added 21.
Los Angeles (44-29) had control for most of the game and appeared to have secured the win after Austin Reaves’ free throws put them up 115-110 with 13 seconds left. The Lakers had no answer for Chicago’s late surge.
Williams sparked the comeback by hitting a three-pointer with 10 seconds left. Giddey then intercepted a pass from LeBron James, leading to White’s go-ahead triple that put the Bulls in front 116-115 with six seconds to play.
Reaves responded with a driving layup to put Los Angeles back ahead 117-116, but Giddey had the final say. He launched a desperation heave from beyond halfcourt as time expired, sending the United Center crowd into a frenzy.
Reaves led the Lakers with 30 points, while Luka Doncic contributed 25 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists. Jaxson Hayes added 19 points, and James finished with 17 points and 12 assists.
The Lakers, who won on LeBron’s tip-in at the buzzer in Indiana a night earlier, have now dropped eight of their last 12 games. Chicago, on the other hand, has fought its way back into the Eastern Conference play-in race.
White and Huerter combined for 10 three-pointers on 50% shooting from deep, while Giddey connected on four of his nine attempts from beyond the arc.
The Bulls struggled in the third quarter, scoring just 17 points, but a 44-point fourth-quarter explosion turned the game around.
Despite the loss, Los Angeles remains in fourth place in the Western Conference, but their grip on home-court advantage is slipping. The Bulls, sitting ninth in the East, strengthened their postseason hopes with another crucial win.
