Bulls crush Lakers as DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball thrive back in L.A.

LOS ANGELES — For the Chicago Bulls, it was an enjoyable L.A. homecoming.

For the Lakers – well, they hope the return trip to Chicago is sweeter for them.

They were torched by a number of SoCal’s native sons on Monday night at Staples Center, the best of which was DeMar DeRozan who scored 38 points as the Bulls rolled, 121-103. It was a bitter end to what was once seen as an opportunity for the Lakers to develop some momentum early in the season. Despite playing 12 of their first 15 games at home, injuries and growing pains have delivered them to an 8-7 start.

All-Star big man Anthony Davis was spared the final quarter, in a sense: He was ejected with 2:20 left in the third quarter, arguing with official Scott Wall as play continued while he was attempting to tie his left shoe.

Davis declined to speak to the media after the game, but Coach Frank Vogel was incensed on his behalf.

“I think typically the ref will wipe the ball, let the guy get his shoe on, have some common sense,” he said. “Quick inbounds. A.D. said, ‘That’s B.S.,’ – which happens about 15 times in the NBA, every game. Quick tech. Ejection. I don’t know what to say about that.”

But even before that, the Chicagoan had an uneven performance, finishing with 20 hard-fought points against the Bulls’ double-teams and traps. The passing that served him well the previous afternoon against San Antonio didn’t yield the same results, especially since the Lakers’ shooters were just 6 for 32 (18.8%) from 3-point range, one of their least impressive outputs of the season.

While the Lakers said they could improve some of their off-ball movement to address the stagnancy, Carmelo Anthony (nine points) said the poor shooting was the bottom line.

“We can talk about a lot of other things that went on tonight, but when you shoot 6 for 32 from three, you’re not going to beat anybody unless you’re just on it, you’re on point with every other aspect of the game,” he said. “And that’s not how the night went for us. There’s no excuses for that.”

By contrast, the Bulls fired away with effortless efficiency. DeRozan and cohort Zach LaVine (a UCLA product) were hot with their jump-shots early, and helped lead Chicago to a 9-for-16 start from behind the arc. Their shot-making might have left the Lakers pining for more perimeter defensive help – the kind Alex Caruso provided the past few seasons before joining the Bulls in free agency this summer.

A former Compton High and USC star, DeRozan has spoken openly about his unrequited desire to come back to his hometown, but when the Lakers opted to trade for Russell Westbrook, the team was squeezed for salary cap space. DeRozan made the saga seem like motivation, knocking down buckets even under duress with friendly rolls on the L.A. rims. LaVine (26) hit shots, but also had a few dunks to stir memories of his days as a Slam Dunk champion.

Former Lakers did well too, but while Caruso’s first game against his former team drew more attention, Lonzo Ball – the former No. 2 draft pick from Chino Hills High and UCLA – hurt them more with 27 points, seven rebounds and eight assists. The deferential teenager who showed flashes of greatness in his first two NBA seasons has grown into a more well-rounded competitor – especially with a remade 3-point stroke that fueled a 7-for-10 showing from deep.

Westbrook, another Bruin, boosted the Lakers with 25 points. Resuming his role as a get-to-the-rim lightning bolt, Westbrook’s first-half surge of 19 points helped keep the Lakers within striking distance against the surprise early-season contenders from the Eastern Conference. But as fast as Westbrook wants to run, the Lakers’ subpar defense slowed them down.

“Pace is hard when you keep taking the ball out of bounds,” he said. “You can push a lot of times, but playing against a set defense is not always the ideal situation that you want to be able to do.”

The third-quarter slumps that have plagued the Lakers continued Monday: They were outscored by 12 in the third frame, getting more life from Davis and his midrange game before he was ejected.

In their seventh consecutive game without LeBron James, the Lakers couldn’t muster much of a comeback. But the final period wasn’t without one or two highlights thanks to Talen Horton-Tucker (team-high 28 points), who got a few gasps out of the sellout crowd when he dunked on DeRozan.

Next comes a relentless travel schedule. On Wednesday, the Lakers begin a five-game trek that sends them through Milwaukee, Boston and New York – the beginning of a 15-game stretch that includes 10 road games.

“Just the whole team camaraderie just has to jell a little bit more on the road,” Horton-Tucker said. “We’re gonna just be with each other, so we have no choice but to get that chemistry up, but we’re just gonna try to get better from here, do better every day.”