Just one night after LeBron James played hero with a game-winning tip-in against the Indiana Pacers, the Lakers found themselves on the losing end of a last-second thriller.
In a heartbreaking 119-117 defeat to the Chicago Bulls on Thursday, Josh Giddey stunned LA with a 47-foot three-pointer at the buzzer.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick summed up the team’s emotions after the loss: “Devastation. It’s a hell of a way to lose a basketball game.”
The Lakers appeared to be in control, building an 18-point lead in the fourth quarter. With just 12.6 seconds remaining, Austin Reaves sank two free throws to give the Lakers a five-point cushion.
Then, the collapse began.
Bulls forward Patrick Williams nailed a corner three with 9.8 seconds left, bringing Chicago within two. LeBron, caught between defensive rotations, was late to close out on the shot after shifting toward Nikola Vucevic.
On the ensuing inbounds play, James attempted to find Reaves in the corner but had his pass intercepted by Giddey. That turnover set up a Coby White three-pointer with 6.1 seconds left, flipping the score in favor of Chicago at 116-115.
“Horrible turnover by myself,” James admitted after finishing with 17 points, 12 assists, two steals, and a team-high four turnovers.
Reaves also took some responsibility for the play.
JOSH GIDDEY WINS IT AT THE BUZZER FROM HALF COURT 🚨
COMPLETES AN 18-POINT 4Q COMEBACK FOR THE BULLS!!#TissotBuzzerBeater #YourTimeDefinesYourGreatness pic.twitter.com/66AbdWc0rw
— NBA (@NBA) March 28, 2025
“I think the miscommunication might’ve been I was trying to hold [his defender] off instead of popping to the ball,” he said. “I take just as much as responsibility as I’m sure he did. Hopefully, we’ll talk about it and figure it out so next time that won’t happen.”
While Giddey’s long-range buzzer-beater stole the headlines, his crucial steal moments earlier was equally impactful.
“He kind of just bounced it,” Giddey said of James’ errant pass. “I was surprised at how easy I was able to grab it.”
Despite the setback, LA had one more chance. After a timeout, Redick designed a play for Reaves, who drove to the basket and converted a layup, momentarily restoring the Lakers’ lead at 117-116 with 3.3 seconds to play.
However, the Bulls quickly inbounded to Williams, who found Giddey. With James leaping to contest, Giddey launched a shot from beyond half-court – draining it as time expired.
“It sucks,” said Reaves, who tallied 30 points. “We probably had a high-percentage chance of winning after my layup went in. There’s not many half-court buzzer-beaters to lose a game. And it’s just, it’s frustrating.”
The Lakers have now dropped eight of their last 12 games, with defensive struggles continuing to plague them. Despite holding Chicago to just 43 points in the second and third quarters combined, they surrendered 44 points in the fourth.
“Give up 44, no matter how many points you put up, it’s not good ingredients for success,” James said.
Chicago’s scorching shooting down the stretch played a huge role, as the Bulls connected on 11-of-14 attempts from three-point range in the final quarter.
“I mean, 11-of-14 in an empty gym is really good,” Redick said. “So that’s unreal shooting.”
The Lakers won’t have much time to dwell on the loss, as they conclude their four-game road trip on Saturday against the Memphis Grizzlies.
“There’s another game in two days, less than two days, that’s how you do it,” James said. “That’s the NBA. You can’t go into a game on Saturday thinking about what happened on Thursday.”
