LeBron James and Rui Hachimura rejoined the Lakers, but their return wasn’t enough to prevent the Bulls from securing a dominant victory.

LeBron James was back in action for the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night after missing seven games due to a strained left groin.

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer saw his comeback spoiled as the Chicago Bulls secured a commanding 146-115 win.

Luka Doncic put up 29 of his 34 points in the first half, sinking eight three-pointers, while James contributed 17 points in his return.

Neither star could contain the Bulls, who dismantled Los Angeles’ usually strong defense, earning their seventh victory in nine games. Chicago’s 146 points were the most the Lakers had given up all season.

Matas Buzelis led Chicago with 31 points, while Giddey delivered an all-around performance with 15 points, 17 assists, 10 rebounds, and eight steals. White shined with six three-pointers, and eight Bulls players scored at least nine points on the fifth game of their six-game road trip.

The Lakers also saw Rui Hachimura return from a 12-game absence due to a knee injury ahead of their matchup with Chicago. Hachimura, the team’s fourth-leading scorer at 13.3 points per game, is a crucial two-way asset.

James suffered his injury late in a loss against the defending champion Boston Celtics on March 8. That defeat ended an eight-game winning streak that had lifted the Lakers to second place in the Western Conference. Without James, they dropped three more road games before bouncing back with three consecutive home wins.

During the Lakers’ trip, the 40-year-old James left the team to undergo treatment but managed to participate in multiple workouts over the past week.

James is averaging 25.0 points, 8.5 assists, and 8.2 rebounds, having played in 58 of the Lakers’ first 69 games in his record-tying 22nd NBA season. Just two games before his latest injury, he became the first player in league history to surpass 50,000 combined points in the regular season and playoffs.

“Getting those two guys back, I don’t know the exact numbers, but our transition offense has suffered, and it’s because we haven’t had them,” said coach JJ Redick.