Lakers vs. Bulls: Score, Highlights, Reaction from 2016 Regular Season

A Julius Randle layup with 45 seconds left helped deliver the Los Angeles Lakers a 96-90 win over the Chicago Bulls from the United Center on Wednesday night.

It was the cherry on top to Randle's big night as he recorded 13 points and 20 rebounds, which tied a career high, in the win.

He carried a Lakers team with a thin backcourt after it was announced that Nick Young would miss two to four weeks due to a strained calf, via Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times. This comes a week after second-year man D'Angelo Russell was shelved with a knee issue that still held him out.

More impressively, the Lakers overcame a first-half deficit that was as large as 16 points to pick up their 10th win of the season.

Chicago's Jimmy Butler led his team's charge with 22 points, but the offense sputtered by shooting less than 36 percent from the field on the night.

It also didn't help that the Bulls bench didn't add much with just 16 points. In comparison, Lakers reserve guards Lou Williams and Jordan Clarkson scored 18 points apiece off the bench. 

Wednesday night was also Chicago's first home game since Nov. 12 after a six-game road trip sent them to the West Coast and Philadelphia.

While there were suspicions that the Bulls would be experiencing a hangover after such a long trip, a first quarter that included a 16-5 run looked like it would dispel any of those rumors, according to ESPN.com's Nick Friedell:

Lakers turnovers certainly helped Chicago's cause, as 24 on the night allowed easy fast-break opportunities like these, via the Bulls:

Nine of those turnovers came in the first quarter alone, as the Lakers immediately faced a double-digit deficit. 

A defense that was porous at times didn't help either, when Los Angeles did turn the ball over. However, it did give Denzel Valentine an opportunity to show off his passing prowess, via the Bulls:

But once the second units got on to the floor, the Lakers came roaring back to tie the game at halftime, while the Bulls' lack of depth showed to Friedell:

The Lakers bench combined for 56 points in total on the night, compared to the 40 recorded by the starters. 

Even while shorthanded, they impressed K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune:

The Bulls' offensive struggles allowed the Lakers to hang around as the visitors trailed by one or two possessions for most of the second half. 

With 4:05 left in the game, Brandon Ingram's two free throws gave the Lakers a one-point advantage that would hold up until the final 1:30 of the game despite both teams trading baskets. 

But Butler would hit a three-pointer with 90 seconds left to tie the game at 90, via the Bulls:

Despite the Lakers turning the ball over for a 24th time in the final minute, they came up with a huge stop on the Bulls' next possession, which allowed Randle to come up with the go-ahead layup on the other end to lift Los Angeles to a lead it would not relinquish.

For a Bulls team that wants to prove that it can be a contender in the Eastern Conference, games like this won't help its case. Especially when it held such a big, early lead. 

With depth as a glaring issue, Chicago will have to search for secondary scoring options off the bench moving forward. 

The Lakers, though, continue to surprise this year, as they helped snap a stretch that saw them lose five of their previous seven games. 

They are on a torrent pace compared to last season, though. It wasn't until Feb. 2 that the Lakers won their 10th game of the season, proving just how far this team has come in such a short time. 

Postgame Reaction

This was a statement win for Los Angeles head coach Luke Walton, via the team's official Twitter account:

Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg wasn't afraid to give credit where credit was due, via Vincent Goodwill of CSN Chicago:

Butler tried to explain what went wrong for the Bulls, via the Associated Press (h/t WTOP.com): "“We stopped rebounding. We stopped getting to loose balls. A lot of stuff. It changed in their favor and they caught us slipping.” 

With just one day off before a meeting with the defending-champion Cleveland Cavaliers, the Bulls will have to figure things out quickly or they could lose their third game in four. 

Stats courtesy of ESPN.com.