Luka Dončić needed a little motivation on Thursday night, and Matas Buzelis was happy to provide it. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar erupted for 51 points in a 142-130 win over the Chicago Bulls, marking his first 50-point game in a Lakers uniform and his highest-scoring output since being traded to Los Angeles last February.
Luka Dončić Drops 51 on Bulls After Buzelis Trash Talk ‘Woke Him Up’ in Second Quarter
Speaking to reporters after the game, Dončić was candid about the moment everything shifted. “It feels special… haven’t had a 50-point game all year, so it feels special,” he said. “In the second quarter, somebody started talking to me, and it woke me up. I was surprised, I was shocked.”
He then named that ‘somebody’ without hesitation: Matas Buzelis. Dončić wouldn’t reveal what was said, joking that repeating it would have earned him a technical foul, significant, given that he entered Thursday one technical away from an automatic 16th-foul suspension.
“If I would say that, I would definitely get a tech,” he said with a grin. “It woke me up. I didn’t say nothing, that’s why I was surprised. Not very nice.”
Buzelis didn’t need anyone to explain the consequences of what he’d started. “What was my take? I don’t even know what to say, honestly,” the Bulls forward said postgame. “He started killing obviously when I started talking to him.” His lesson learned? “Probably not to talk to him.”
What unfolded after the second-quarter exchange was a masterclass. Dončić had been relatively quiet in the first quarter, but once Buzelis lit the fuse, there was no stopping him. He dropped 12 points in the second quarter alone and never let up, finishing 17-of-31 from the field and a scorching 9-of-14 from three, with 10 rebounds and nine assists, one shy of a triple-double. The Lakers built a 22-point lead in the third quarter and controlled the game from there.
Late in the fourth, coach JJ Redick kept Dončić on the floor with the 50-point mark within reach, asking his star if he wanted one more crack at it. Dončić drew a foul and converted both free throws to get there.
A proud Redick didn’t hold back in his assessment afterward. “It’s a unique trait, it’s not just the fact that he responds to rough play or trash talk, but that he can channel it into everything else. His defensive rebounding, his assists, his steals,” the Lakers coach said.
“He’s playing as well as anybody in the NBA right now. And I think that’s probably not being talked about enough, so I’m going to talk about it.”
Lakers Roll to Fourth Straight Win as Supporting Cast Delivers
Dončić had plenty of help against the Bulls. Austin Reaves poured in 30 points, with 20 of them coming in the second half, while Deandre Ayton had 23 points and 10 rebounds. LeBron James, returning from a three-game absence due to injury, contributed 18 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists to round out a balanced effort.
Buzelis finished with 22 points on 7-of-19 shooting for Chicago, a respectable individual night, even if his team couldn’t contain what he helped set in motion. The Bulls trimmed the lead at various points but never sustained it against a Lakers team that dominated the glass and the paint throughout.
With the win, Los Angeles improves to 41-25 and has now won four straight and seven of their last eight. The Lakers host the Denver Nuggets on Saturday in a critical Western Conference positioning matchup before heading out on a six-game road trip.
If Thursday’s performance is any indication of where Dončić’s game is heading down the stretch, the rest of the West has reason to take notice.
