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He didn’t miss it this time.

Luka Doncic recorded his first 50-point game of the season Thursday, hitting two late free throws as the crowd at Crypto.com Arena showered him with “MVP” chants in the fourth quarter. Doncic checked out with 1:41 remaining to a standing ovation with 51 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists to lead the Lakers to a 142-130 win over the Chicago Bulls.

The Lakers (41-25) jumped into third place in the Western Conference with their seventh win in their last eight games, climbing from sixth in just one week behind Doncic’s brilliance. The NBA’s leading scorer has averaged 40.2 points in the last four games, all wins. Doncic had a chance at 50 points in a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in October, but missed a late free throw that forced him to settle for 49 points.

LeBron James returned after missing three games because of elbow and hip contusions he sustained against the Denver Nuggets on March 5. He finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Austin Reaves had 30 points and seven assists, surpassing 5,000 points for his career. Center Deandre Ayton held down a short-handed big man rotation with 23 points and 10 rebounds.

The Lakers were without starting guard Marcus Smart (right hip contusion) and backup centers Jaxson Hayes (back soreness) and Maxi Kleber (lumbar back strain). Smart has been playing through the injury for several games, but with a six-game road trip starting next week, “we need it to calm down,” coach JJ Redick said. The coach expected Smart to be available Saturday when the Lakers play the Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena.

The Lakers gave up a 12-3 run to end the first quarter and led the struggling Bulls (27-39) by only five at halftime. James helped give them the breathing room going into the locker room as he scored his first points of the game with 54 seconds left in the first half. His three-point play sparked a quick five-point run to end the half, which ended with a dunk from Rui Hachimura.

Lakers star LeBron James, center, drives between Chicago’s Rob Dillingham, left, and Matas Buzelis during the second half Thursday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

James came alive in the third quarter, beginning with his dunk off a hit-ahead pass from Doncic. He returned the favor by diving out of bounds for a steal on the next possession and the save led to a three-pointer from Doncic.

Doncic made nine of 14 three-point attempts as the Lakers made 17 of 36 shots from beyond the arc, their best three-point percentage in a game since Feb. 20.

After not taking a single shot in the first quarter, James had 11 points, three rebounds and two assists in the third quarter as the Lakers’ lead grew to 22 points.

Kawhi Leonard scored 29 points, Bennedict Mathurin scored 23 against the team that traded him last month, and the Clippers won their third in a row, 130-107 over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night at Intuit Dome.

Brook Lopez had 17 points for the Clippers while Darius Garland had 12 in his first home game since being acquired from the Cleveland Cavaliers last month. He and Mathurin, who made eight of 11 shots, provided an effective backcourt off the bench, and center Isaiah Jackson added 10 points, four rebounds and three blocks against his old team as well.

The only negative on the night was when rookie center Yanic Konan Niederhauser was helped to the locker room after he suffered a right foot injury. He didn’t return. The Clippers said he’d undergo further evaluation and won’t join them for a two-game trip.

Pascal Siakam had 29 points in his return after sitting out three games because of a left wrist sprain to lead Indiana, but the Pacers lost their seventh in a row and fell to the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 15-47 record.

Jay Huff had 18 points and was four for eight on three-pointers, and Jarace Walker added 17 points.

The Clippers (30-31) led 42-25 after one quarter and 63-51 at halftime, with Leonard racking up 20 points. The Clippers pulled away with a 16-2 run in the third quarter to extend a seven-point lead to 21.

The Clippers shot 55.1% to the Pacers’ 42.9% as L.A. pulled within a game of .500 for the second time since recovering from a 6-21 start. The Clippers play at San Antonio on Friday and at Memphis on Saturday.

Norchad Omier, a 6-foot-7 forward on a two-way contract, became the first Nicaraguan to score in the NBA, according to the Clippers, when he made a late jump hook in the lane.

One team was coming off its highest high, the other off its lowest low, but recent history matters little whenever UCLA and USC meet.

Tuesday night’s matchup inside Pauley Pavilion was no exception, as the men’s basketball programs faced off in the first of two key Big Ten clashes in 11 days and the host Bruins sent their blue-clad fans home happy with an 81-62 victory.

Donovan Dent led the charge with 30 points and seven assists, Trent Perry had 13 points and four assists, Xavier Booker had 11 points and three blocks and forward Tyler Bilodeau added 13 points and nine rebounds as the Bruins (19-9 overall, 11-6 in the Big Ten) improved to 15-1 and stayed in seventh place in conference play with three games remaining in the regular season.

In the latter stages of the second half, UCLA made 10 of 12 shots and led by nine with 5:43 left. A three-pointer by Eric Freeny extended the margin to 14 with 2:01 remaining. UCLA scored 32 points in the paint and scored 15 points off turnovers.

Three days earlier, UCLA pulled off its biggest win of the year, rallying from 23 points down to stun 10th-ranked Illinois in overtime and rode that momentum to overwhelm its crosstown rival, still smarting from a 71-70 defeat to lowly Oregon on Saturday at Galen Center.

Both teams wore their dark jerseys for the 266th meeting between the teams and UCLA improved to 150-116 in a series dating to 1928 when UCLA joined the Pacific Coast Conference.

UCLA forward Tyler Bilodeau is defended by USC forward Jacob Cofie in the first half.

(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)

Chad Baker-Mazara was hot early for the Trojans, hitting four three-pointers and totaling 14 by the break, but no other USC player had more than four in the first 20 minutes. The Bruins did not lead until Bilodeau banked in a 15-foot jumper to edge them in front 8-7 4:39 into the game.

UCLA went on a 12-2 run in just under five minutes to build a 29-23 lead while USC was in the midst of a one-for-eight drought from the field, but the Trojans pulled to within two on Ezra Ausar’s layup with 3:30 left in the half.

Booker’s dunk ignited a 7-0 run to put the Bruins up 36-27 and Dent swished a 15-footer that beat the buzzer and gave UCLA a 38-29 halftime lead.

Dent had 19 points at intermission and outscored USC by himself in the last nine minutes of the half, 7-6. He finished five of six from three-point range.

USC forward Chad Baker-Mazara, guard Alijah Arenas, UCLA forward Tyler Bilodeau and USC forward Terrance Williams II vie for the ball in the first half.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

UCLA stretched its lead to 11 points five minutes into the second half as the Trojans went cold, shooting one for 11 and going 3:49 without scoring a basket. It was a frustrating night for USC star guard Alijah Arenas, who had four points and five turnovers when he was whistled for a charging foul — his third — running over Perry with 16:45 left.

He finished with 10 points but Baker-Mazara was the leading scorer with 25 points for the Trojans (18-10, 7-10), who dropped their fourth straight.

LAFC kicked off the MLS season with a 3-0 statement win over reigning champion Inter Miami at a packed Coliseum on Saturday night, giving new coach Marc Dos Santos his first win.

The matchup featured Miami star Lionel Messi and attracted an announced crowd of 75,673, the second-largest for a regular season game in MLS history and the largest for a season opener.

It was LAFC’s ninth win in season-opening games, another record for the club.

Miami tried to impose its game plan early, with several attacks down the right side of the field, and focused on making Messi the focal point of its attack. However, LAFC controlled possession and by the 12th minute already had generated two clear scoring opportunities through Son Heung-min and Denis Bouanga.

Son had a great chance during a one-on-one matchup against Canadian goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair, who managed to alter the LAFC winger‘s shooting angle and prevent a goal.

After a poor clearance by Miami, Stephen Eustáquio stole the ball and quickly passed to Son, who saw David Martínez running and sent a deep pass for him. Martínez crossed the ball past Clair, with the Venezuelan opening the scoring in the 37th minute to give LAFC a 1-0 lead.

Martínez had a chance to score again during first-half stoppage time when he took advantage of a defensive error on the right side of the field, but this time his shot grazed the visiting goalkeeper’s right post.

Miami responded with an attack, during which Messi had the perfect angle for a shot from the left, but it sailed close to LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris’ top right post and did not reach the back of the net.

In the second half, Miami came out determined to push LAFC back into its own territory by advancing its lines and looking to support Germán Berterame.

Dos Santos’ team played a waiting game, and its patience paid off when it scored its second goal in the 72nd minute. Son was at midfield when he passed back to Mathieu Choinière, who fed Timothy Tillman, who sent a long pass to Bouanga. The French striker took advantage of Clair’s poor clearance by chipping the ball over the goalkeeper’s head to take a 2-0 lead.

When it looked like that would be the final score, Bouanga slipped away down the left wing and, despite defensive pressure, managed to send in a cross that new substitute Nathan Ordaz tapped in to give LAFC a 3-0 lead during second-half stoppage time.

For LAFC, the match marked the beginning of a new era following the departure of coach Steve Cherundolo, who led some of the most successful chapters in the club’s history, including its first MLS Cup title in 2022.

LAFC opted to maintain continuity under Dos Santos, who was promoted from the assistant coaching ranks following Cherundolo’s exit at the end of last season.

Miami arrived in Los Angeles as the team to beat, with high morale and ambition to defend its title.

The club has had historic seasons, including combined scoring records in the regular season and playoffs, and has consolidated its project with world-renowned figures who have transformed its impact on and off the field.

Under the leadership of coach Javier Mascherano, Miami faces a new season with a mix of experience and youth.

The presence of Messi — who won most valuable player awards and the Golden Boot last year — remains the focus of media and competitive attention for the club.