The Los Angeles Lakers were back at full strength on Saturday night, with LeBron James making his long-awaited return to the lineup after missing the previous seven games while nursing a groin injury.
Despite James's return, the Lakers put on one of their worst displays of the entire 2024-25 season, suffering a 31-point defeat against the Chicago Bulls, 146–115.
The blowout home loss to the Bulls left a bad taste in the mouth of some fans, chief among them being former Lakers point guard and president of basketball operations Magic Johnson. The 65-year-old took to X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday to lambaste the team's lackluster showing from the previous night.
"C'mon Lakers, where was the defense last night? There's no way they should have allowed the Chicago Bulls to score 146 points, especially getting ready for the Playoffs!" wrote Johnson.
C'mon Lakers, where was the defense last night? There's no way they should have allowed the Chicago Bulls to score 145 points, especially getting ready for the Playoffs!
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) March 23, 2025
Johnson didn't hold back with his assessment of the team's performance. Although he's no longer a member of the front office in L.A., he remains a die-hard Lakers fan and one of the team's most vocal supporters. Clearly, he wasn't pleased with their effort on the defensive end on Saturday night.
The 146 points the team surrendered to the Bulls was by far the most they'd allowed all season, smashing their previous high of 136. James was a game-worst -27 across 31 minutes on the court, as the tandem of Coby White and Matas Buzelis combined for 67 points and 11 threes.
With the playoffs looming, Johnson was hoping to see a more spirited showing on both ends of the floor, and couldn't hide his disappointment after the team's worst loss of the season.
The Lakers will hope to bounce back on Monday night when they head to the Kia Center for a showdown against the Orlando Magic.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Magic Johnson Blasts Lakers' Lackluster Performance in Blowout Loss to Bulls.
