Despite a Josh Giddey triple-double, the Chicago Bulls' inconsistent shooting and fragile defense resulted in their West Coast road trip finale defeat.
The Chicago Bulls fought hard but failed to complete the mission before heading home.
After losing to the Los Angeles Lakers a day earlier, the Bulls stumbled again at the Intuit Dome against the LA Clippers on Friday night in a 119-108 defeat, suffering a two-game skid to both LA teams. Though Chicago showed signs of a rally in the third quarter, the talent gap, alongside poor shooting and fragile interior defense, ultimately extinguished their comeback hopes.
Josh Giddey posted his 29th career triple-double with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists, surpassing Michael Jordan and tying Grant Hill for 19th-most in NBA all-time history. Tre Jones led the Bulls' scoreboard with 21 points. Matas Buzelis notched a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Kawhi Leonard led all scorers with 28 points, extending the Clippers' winning streak to four games. Bennedict Mathurin followed with 26 points and six rebounds, including 19 points in the second half that put the game away.
Mar 13, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis (14) shoots while under pressure from Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2), left, during the first half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn ImagesLeonard opened with a long contested three-pointer before Kris Dunn added four points off Bulls turnovers, giving the Clippers an early 9-4 lead. After a timeout, Chicago closed it to a three-point game behind Giddey and Buzelis, but Leonard responded with an and-one finish off a Dunn feed. He then scored another four points, posing a significant threat.
The Clippers extended their lead to eight points before the Bulls surged back to make it a one-point game, forcing a Los Angeles timeout. Buzelis and Giddey led the rally with eight combined points. Both teams traded buckets, with Chicago trailing by five entering the second quarter.
The second quarter remained neck-and-neck as both teams played with minimal interior defense. But the home team overwhelmed Chicago in transition, scoring repeatedly through defensive lapses while the Bulls faltered in response. Chicago trailed 63-57 at halftime.
Opening the second half, the Bulls remained scoreless for two minutes while the Clippers built a nine-point cushion. Chicago turned aggressive after a timeout, with Buzelis and Jones attacking the rim. Patrick Williams stepped up for an and-one, cutting it to a four-point game.
The Bulls seized their first lead after Dillingham's dagger from the left side, putting Chicago up by one with four minutes left in the third. But an adjusted Clippers squad handed Chicago an eight-point deficit behind Mathurin's scoring showcase to close the quarter.
Mathurin continued his dominance in the fourth, extending the lead to 14 points and forcing an early Bulls timeout. Leonard Miller buried a jumper, and Giddey followed with an and-one drive to make it a three-point play. But Chicago lost the rebounding battle as Mathurin grabbed two consecutive offensive boards and converted free throws.
Though showing comeback signs, the Bulls wilted while missing from beyond the arc until Giddey broke the drought with a contested triple. Miller forced a steal and found Jones for a transition layup, trimming the deficit to 109-101 with four minutes remaining.
Chicago refused to surrender but couldn't generate a spark under Los Angeles' dominance, wrapping up its West Coast trip with a 1-3 record.