The only way to describe Los Angeles Lakers‘ March 27 game vs the Chicago Bulls would be quicksand. Coming off of a 120-119 win against the Indiana Pacers the day prior, LA was supposed to carry the same momentum forward, especially after suffering six losses in the last 10 games. However, by the end, it was clear that the Lakers had a long way to go. For a second time within a week, James’ team lost to the Bulls, albeit with a lower difference (117-119) as opposed to March 22 (146-115). The Purple and Gold showed amazing quality fighting back from a halftime deficit against the Bulls. At the same time, complacency made them pay a heavy price.

Despite a five-point lead with about 12 seconds remaining, all it took was six seconds for the Bulls to overcome that. It was Patrick Williams who essentially started the massive comeback with a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to two points with 9.8 seconds left. Unfortunately, LeBron James was also responsible for giving away a possession soon after with Josh Giddey pulling off another 3-pointer.

The Lakers looked like they would bounce back on the next possession. Reaves, who had been their go-to guy all night, was expecting to draw a foul and head to the line. But somehow, the ball never even made it safely into play, with just 3.3 seconds left. A miscue, a turnover, and suddenly, the Bulls had life. In a matter of seconds, their three-point deficit turned into a tied game. And then, as if scripted for maximum heartbreak, Josh Giddey delivered a perfect buzzer-beater from half-court that sent the Lakers stunned.

That’s where the tides changed tonight. James did throw the ball towards Reaves, but Giddey and the Bulls’ pressure led to a steal and an instant three giving Chicago the unexpected upper hand. And it happened because the Lakers weren’t on the same wavelength. “I wanted to get the ball go to the free throw line. I think the miscommunication might have been I was trying to hold him off instead of popping to the ball,” Reaves said about the play.

The error opened up the floodgates for a game-winning situation. Upon the steal, Coby White hit a triple to give the Bulls a one-point advantage. Still, there was no blaming after the blunder. Austin Reaves took accountability for being unable to read the play. “I take just as much responsibility as you know I’m sure he did,” Reaves said about the sequence.

LeBron James said, “We put ourselves in position to win, gave up a lot of threes in the fourth quarter, still put ourselves in position to win. “Horrible turnover by myself, miscommunication the play before that. AR (Austin Reaves) tried to save us. Tip your hats.”

But there was so much more that hurt the Los Angeles Lakers tonight. LeBron James‘ rough shooting spell continued as he has shot just 12-32 over the last two games. They only made one of their nine three-point attempts in the last segment. In contrast, the Bulls hit home at 11 of their 14 attempts to spark the emphatic comeback. In the end, James finished the game with 17 points, five rebounds and 12 assists. Doncic, on the other hand, had a slow start to his game with nine points in the first half, but then catapulting it in the second half to 25 total points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and a block.

And then there was Reaves who scored a game-high 30 points with one rebound and three assists. The star of the Bulls roster, Giddy, added 25 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists to his name and also hit his fifth triple-double of the season (the only Bulls player with more in one campaign is Michael Jordan’s 15 in 1988-89). “Special moment to do it with these guys, this team,” he later said.

Yet most importantly, it wasn’t missed shots or miscommunication where the Lakers lost.

Luka Doncic highlights a key issue within the Lakers

In his short time as a coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, JJ Redick has strongly emphasized a few principles. One of them is to compete. His system is indicative of that. The Lakers’ defense keeps switching and playing with explosive movements. On the other end, their offenses are systematic, moving the ball and getting the best shot.

Tonight, the Lakers actually succeeded at their kryptonite before letting the game go away from them. “You know our third quarters weren’t good. So today I think we had to show that our third quarter needs to be better,” Luka Doncic commented. That’s where the game swayed into their laps.

The Lakers’ defense even without Rui Hachimura troubled the Bulls. They shot just 27.3% in the third quarter while the Lakers generated three steals and three blocks. Their vigor on both sides of the floor opened the game up and it was supposed to stay that way. However, they made a crucial mistake.

The 18-point lead made them take things easy. The home team made them pay for it with a spectacular showing in the final period. That’s why Doncic couldn’t stop himself from thinking, “We relaxed in the fourth quarter so just got to play the game for 48 minutes.”

If they stay engaged throughout the four quarters, Doncic feels they are “hard to beat”. And there has been plenty of proof for the same. The Purple and Gold seem to have lost the urgency to win games. It creates lousy moments that opponents have now frequently exploited against them.

Tonight was probably the worst of them all. And JJ Redick will most likely have a hard talk with his team about their depreciating energy levels.