The Los Angeles Lakers seemed to be in a bit of trouble entering Saturday’s clash with the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. The Lakers were without LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, Marcus Smart, and Gabe Vincent on the second night of a road back-to-back, but they put in one of their best performances of the season to come away with a 119-95 win.
Luka Doncic was once again the star of the show with 41 points (9-19 FG), nine rebounds, six assists, one steal, and two blocks. Doncic was ably supported by Austin Reaves, who racked up 25 points (9-17 FG), six rebounds, eight assists, and one steal.
It was a solid showing on offense from the Lakers as they shot 49.3% from the field, but it was their play on the other end that stood out. This was the first time that they held a team under 100 points this season.
The Lakers, who are now 10-4, put the clamps on the Bucks for much of the night, with the hosts shooting just 40.0% from the field. Giannis Antetokounmpo’s play was one of the few positives for them, as he had 32 points (9-15 FG), 10 rebounds, five assists, and one block. AJ Green (15 points) and Gary Trent Jr. (13 points) had some good spurts as well, but the Bucks were no match for the Lakers here.
1. A Defensive Masterclass From The Lakers In The First Half
Defense has been highlighted as the Lakers’ biggest weakness, but you sure wouldn’t have thought so watching the first half. They put on a clinic defensively, with the Bucks recording just 34 points at halftime. It was the fewest points the Lakers had allowed in a first half since they gave up 33 on Jan. 23, 2021, against the Chicago Bulls.
The Bucks shot just 10-41 (24.4%) from the field and 4-20 (20.0%) from beyond the arc in the first half. They didn’t make a single field goal in the second quarter after Gary Harris hit a three-pointer with eight minutes left in the period.
If the Lakers consistently played that well on the defensive end, they’d be serious title contenders, but the second half showed they just can’t do it. The Bucks had 38 points in the third quarter alone, and that allowed them to get back in the game for a brief period.
2. Luka Doncic And Austin Reaves Shut Down The Bucks’ Comeback Attempts
The Bucks trailed by 31 points at halftime, but they weren’t throwing in the towel just yet. They started eating into that Lakers lead in the third quarter and cut it down to 84-70 with just over a minute left in the period.
It looked like the Bucks might even go on to trim the lead to single digits, but Doncic ensured that wouldn’t happen. The Slovenian scored eight points in the final minute to push the lead back up to 92-72.
The Bucks still weren’t giving up, though. A 9-2 run to start the fourth saw the Lakers’ lead cut to 94-81, but Reaves then took over. He went on a personal 9-3 run to put the visitors up 103-84, and that was that. The Bucks never particularly got close from then on, and the Lakers’ backcourt duo deserves credit for stepping up when it mattered most.
3. Deandre Ayton Impresses Yet Again
Deandre Ayton came into this contest on the back of an impressive showing against the New Orleans Pelicans. Ayton had 20 points and 16 rebounds against the Pelicans, and you wanted to see if he could keep it up. He certainly did in the first half.
Ayton had 16 points and six rebounds at halftime against the Bucks. He won the matchup against Myles Turner and was a big reason why the Lakers jumped out to that massive lead.
Unfortunately for Ayton, he also found himself in foul trouble and didn’t end up having the kind of monstrous night that you might have expected with that hot start. He finished with 20 points (9-13 FG), 10 rebounds, two steals, and one block. This was still a very good display from Ayton, and he has silenced a lot of his critics with his play this season.
4. A Night To Forget For Kyle Kuzma
While so many Lakers shone on the night, a former Laker certainly did not. You’d have thought that Kyle Kuzma would have been keen to impress against his former team, but he put in a woeful performance.
Kuzma had one point (0-6 FG) and one rebound in 20 minutes. He had a plus-minus of -17 and rightfully spent much of the game on the bench.
Kuzma came into this clash on the back of two 25-point outings in his last three games. It was one of his best stretches of play since becoming a Buck, but he laid an egg here and helped out his former team in a big way.
