Three nights after a crushing loss to the Brooklyn Nets, the Los Angeles Lakers came into Fiserv Forum tonight desperate for a win. Unfortunately for the Lakers, the Bucks ran away with the game and cruised to a double-digit victory against a reeling LA squad.
The Lakers got off to a pretty solid start with 29 points in the first quarter to keep the game within three. After halftime, the Lakers completely ran out of gas, scoring only 19 points in the third quarter to get outscored by 12. From there, the Bucks ran away with the game until the final buzzer sealed their blowout victory (126-106).
The Bucks were led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, who finished with 24 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists on 8-17 shooting. Damian Lillard dropped 22 points, four rebounds, and 10 assists on 6-14 shooting while Brook Lopez contributed 23 points, four rebounds, and five assists on 8-9 shooting.
Luka Doncic was the star of the show for the Lakers with 45 points, 11 rebounds, and three assists on 14-27 shooting. Sharpshooting guard Austin Reaves tallied 28 points, eight rebounds, and three assists on 10-17 shooting. Off the bench, Dalton Knecht had 10 points, five rebounds, and three assists on 2-4 shooting from three.
For what it’s worth, the Lakers were very short-handed tonight. They were down three starters, including LeBron James who was out with a groin injury. Clearly, they missed their full team tonight as they didn’t have enough firepower to keep up with the Bucks’ hot shooting.
One-Man Show For The Lakers
No. 77 was on fire tonight, and he proved that he’s worthy of leading the Lakers this season and beyond. In 36 minutes, Doncic dropped 45 points, eight rebounds, and three assists on 10-17 shooting.
What’s a shame for the Lakers is that Doncic’s performance was wasted in this loss against the Bucks. He and Austin Reaves were the only ones who played well for the Lakers, while everyone else failed to cross double figures in scoring.
Without LeBron James and other key contributors, it was expected for the Lakers to struggle tonight. What we didn’t expect was for all but two players to go M.I.A. in the game with horrendous shooting and coverage on the other end of the floor.
Red-Hot Shooting From The Bucks
The Lakers’ defense failed tonight, and on a night where they struggled to make shots, it was a recipe for disaster. As a team, the Bucks shot 48.6% from the field (41-86) and 44.1% from three (17-40).
Damian Lillard, Kyle Kuzma, and Brook Lopez killed the Lakers from the arc and Kevin Porter Jr. torched them off the bench with five three-pointers in 15 minutes of action. The Bucks even shot well from the free-throw line, going 27-33 overall.
The Lakers, meanwhile, couldn’t hit a shot to save their life. They went 15-40 from beyond the arc and were out of sync all night with seven turnovers. The shooting discrepancy made it impossible for the Lakers to make a comeback and now they are losers of two straight games.
Problems In The Frontcourt
The Lakers tried to trade for Mark Williams after adding Luka Doncic to the roster, but they had to rescind the trade after he failed his physical. The problem for the Lakers is that it left them vulnerable in the frontcourt, and they were exposed tonight.
They already had a thin frontcourt going into the game but it was even worse without Jaxson Hayes. Looking deep into his rotation, JJ Redick had no choice but to start Alex Len, who is averaging 10.6 minutes per game this season.
Alex was -15 in 19 minutes on the court but the Lakers desperately needed some kind of size out there. The Bucks dominated the boards tonight with 42 rebounds and also defended the rim with ease (eight blocks). The Lakers offered practically no resistance on the interior.
Needless to say, this was a forgettable game for the Lakers and their best hope for a quick turnaround is a speedy recovery from LeBron James. If the Lakers can get whole again and alleviate the scoring pressure from Luka, it will go a long way toward getting back on track and closing out this season strong.
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