The Los Angeles Lakers hosted the Milwaukee Bucks on their home court at Crypto.com Arena Thursday Night. The Lakers are coming off a win on Wednesday night against the Denver Nuggets, 120-108, without star players Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. Both players are suffering from ankle issues. The Los Angeles Lakers were also without LeBron James who still has a groin situation. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves put on a show, combining for 53 points. The Lakers finished shooting 50% from the field and 42% from the three-point line.
The Los Angeles Lakers have won the last six out of ten games. They faced a Milwaukee Bucks team that sits third in the Central Standings and fifth in the Eastern Conference. The Bucks would come off a loss to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night, where the Bucks shot 39% from the field. The Los Angeles Lakers sit atop the Pacific division and are 4th in the Western Conference. Could the Lakers get a win over the Bucks after a poor shooting performance against the Warriors?
No Stars For the Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers would have to face the Milwaukee Bucks without James, Doncic, and Reaves. Doncic and Reaves both have ankle issues. They would have to face Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks with a starting lineup of Markieff Morris, Jaxson Hayes, Gabe Vincent, Jordan Godwin, and Dalton Knecht. Needless to say, the Lakers were a little outmatched in this game. After the first quarter, the Bucks led 34-19. The Lakers would turn the ball over 22 times in this game.
In the second quarter, the Los Angeles Lakers put the paws to the Bucks and outscored them 27-23. Lakers rookie Bronny James finished the first half with 9 points. James averaged 21 points with the South Bay Lakers in the G League. Lakers Guard Gabe Vincent also finished the first half with 6 points. The Lakers were only down 11 at the half. Could they rally with rookie James to a win?
Bucks Too Much For Lakers
The Lakers cut the lead to ten in the third quarter, but the Bucks drove it back to 20. LeBron James and Doncic could only watch helplessly from the bench. The Bucks outscored the Lakers 34-23 in the third. The Bucks had a poor from three-point land, shooting only 31% for the game. The Lakers would shoot 34% from the three-point line by the end of the game. The Lakers would also out-rebound the Bucks 50-41.
The Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Bucks 118-89. Bronny James scored 17 points, shooting 70% from the field, and had 5 assists and 3 rebounds. Dalton Knecht also scored 17 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. The Lakers had six players out with injuries for Thursday night’s game. Antetokounmpo finished the game with 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. Kyle Kuzma, who the Lakers drafted in 2017, finished the game with 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. Milwaukee Bucks Point Guard Damian Lillard was out due to a groin issue.
Final Thoughts
The Los Angeles Lakers have been dealing with nagging injuries with players all season. As we near the end of the season, the Lakers could make a late run to be a higher seed in the playoffs, but star players like James and Doncic being on the court could make that reality difficult.
Since the trade of Doncic, some Laker fans like Shannon Sharpe have expressed that the Lakers could make it to the NBA Finals. We still have a lot of basketball left, and the Western Conference is no punk. With a healthy roster, could the Lakers make it to the NBA Finals, and could they win another NBA Championship?
