LOS ANGELES – The Milwaukee Bucks finally took advantage of scheduling and injury issues for an opponent, as they eventually pulled away from the diminished Los Angeles Lakers in a 118-89 victoryThursday night at Crypto.com Arena.
Milwaukee got 23 points off the bench from guard Gary Trent Jr., who went 6 of 10 from behind the three-point line. It was the fourth time this season he’s made at least 6 three-pointers, and the Bucks are 4-0 in those games.
“Just open opportunities,” Trent said of his performance. “Teammates finding me, being able to make my mark on the game. So, it was a pretty solid night.”
Trent hit 2 threes and assisted on one to Ryan Rollins to key a 16-0 Bucks run in the first quarter that broke a 14-14 tie and gave them the lead for good. The Lakers got to within eight in the second quarter, but that was the most they threatened.
“When we get stops, we get out in transition and with Giannis and ‘Kuz’ (Kyle Kuzma) and everybody running the floor and get to our spacing and that just opens up the floor for everybody,” Rollins said of that stretch. “If they get downhill we’re gonna get open threes and we’re gonna make more than we miss, so I think that was a big key to that.”
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Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 28 points while Kuzma scored 20 points on 9 of 16 shooting. Brook Lopez scored 11 points and had seven rebounds and blocked two shots in 32 minutes of action.
BOX SCORE:Bucks 118, Lakers 89
It was more than just a needed win for Milwaukee, but also one where their two big men could get some rest as the Bucks continue to play without reserve bigs Bobby Portis Jr. and Jericho Sims.
The Bucks were able to outpace the Lakers (43-26), who were on the second night of a back-to-back after beating the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night and held out star Luka Dončić and guard Austin Reaves as they played their sixth game in the last eight days
LeBron James was already hurt after suffering a groin strain on March 8. LeBron James Jr. scored a career-high 17 points off the bench while Dalton Knecht also had 17 for the Lakers.
“I mean, I don’t really care,” Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said of the Lakers’ shortened roster. “We’re on a road trip. And we’re trying to win games. We felt like we blew one in Golden State so we really, honestly, your only concern is that your guys just keep their focus. Obviously with those guys out we’re supposed to win the game and we won the game. But I don’t think much of it. It happens. Because of the fires, they’ve had a brutal schedule and so they had to rest guys somewhere. And picking an East Coast team is smarter than picking a West Coast team, that’s what I would say.”
The Bucks (39-30) built a 23-point first half lead before it was whittled down to as few as eight, but used a strong third quarter to help wash the taste away of a poorly played loss against Golden State on Tuesday.
“I think we let one off the hook in Golden State,” Kuzma said. “Obviously getting ready you prepare for Golden State with Steph (Curry) and find out Steph wasn’t playing earlier in the afternoon and we kind of came out there like Steph wasn’t playing and we got popped. So, we’re not trying to repeat history and come in and take care of our plate.”
Milwaukee came in having lost five of its last seven games and dropped to fifth in the Eastern Conference playoff race, as they had lost games to Orlando, Oklahoma and Indiana when those teams were without stars and/or playing on the second nights of back-to-backs.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has huge third quarter
Following another poor offensive performance for himself and the team against Golden State on Tuesday night, Antetokounmpo said he needed to get back to playing free – and aggressively.
While he pushed back on the notion that a more aggressive mindset required him to take more shots, the Bucks being without star point guard Damian Lillard and his nearly 25 points would naturally open up more opportunities for Antetokounmpo.
That said, he was 6 of 11 in the first half for 13 points and had two assists as the scoreboard yo-yo’d from a 23-point Bucks advantage down to eight late in the second quarter. But in the third quarter, Antetokounmpo asserted himself when playing the entire quarter, scoring 15 points. He was just 3 of 4 from the field while making 9 of 10 free throws. He also had two assists.
“Just attacked, made plays — that’s what we want him to do every night,” Rivers said. “We want to put the ball in his hands. We didn’t want him to play in the fourth so we just figured let’s play him the third and get it over with.”
The performance helped the Bucks take a 22-point lead into the fourth, and the bench unit was able to extend it to 30 in the first couple minutes of action.
Antetokounmpo didn’t have to play the fourth, finishing with 28 points in 29 minutes of action. He was 9 of 15 from the field and 10 of 12 from the free throw line. He also had seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block.
Did you notice Ryan Rollins?
The Bucks once again turned to the 22-year-old guard to start in place of Damian Lillard, and Rollins immediately made his presence felt on the defensive end in the first quarter.
“Literally just that – come in set the tone defensively, pick up 94 (feet) and just hold ’em down a little bit and just set the tone defensively,” he said of his mindset coming into the start. “Which I think I did a pretty good job of. So, that’s what they ask me to do, so that’s what I did.”
In eight minutes of action in the opening quarter, Rollins had a steal, blocked a three-pointer by Gabe Vincent and forced an eight-second violation with his back court pressure. He was just 1 of 5 on the offensive end, but also pulled down two rebounds – including a tough offensive board during a long possession by the Bucks.
“I thought he was spectacular in the first half, I thought he struggled a little bit actually in the second half, kept getting caught under screens but Ryan pressures the ball and picks the ball up, and ball pressure is amazing, what it does for everybody else,” Rivers said. “They were starting their offense at 16 and 14 (left on the clock) because of Ryan, one guy, that’s huge for us.”
Then, in perhaps his most heads-up play, he grabbed teammate Kyle Kuzma as Kuzma was about to hit the court hard and helped Kuzma to the floor softly. Rollins got back on defense quick enough, though, to collect a blocked shot by Antetokounmpo and fired the ball back down the court to Kuzma who was able to get off a shot attempt before the half.
Damian Lillard suffers calf injury, out for Bucks
After the Bucks’ shoot around Thursday morning,
all-star point guard Damian Lillard was downgraded to questionable to play, and the injury associated with his status was initially the right groin soreness he’s been playing through since March 11. In the five games he had played with that issue, Lillard averaged just 19.4 points per game on 37.1% shooting. He’s also just making 35% of his three-pointers.
But even later in the afternoon, it was determined the 34-year-old was dealing with soreness in the soleus muscle in his right calf and he was ruled out for the game. It’s a flareup of an issue he’s dealt with in the past, including earlier this season when it was believed he suffered a bruise to that calf in the Emirates NBA Cup final in Las Vegas on Dec. 17, only to be ruled out with a strain in that calf from Dec. 20-23.
He missed a couple weeks while with Portland in the 2022-23 season with that injury as well.
“It popped up and he didn’t do shootaround today, so we’re just keep moving on,” Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said before the game. “Again, I don’t get involved in it much. But, I think it’s one of those things where if they thought he was at risk they wouldn’t play him, or we wouldn’t play him. So, I think that’s what they’re deciding. Obviously it’s game-to-game so they don’t think it’s anything serious, but you gotta monitor it obviously.”
Five numbers
- 7-2: Bucks record without Damian Lillard.
- 13-2: Bucks record with Thanasis Antetokounmpo in attendance. Sunday’s loss against Oklahoma City was the team’s first loss with him in attendance, followed by Tuesday’s loss against Golden State. Currently a free agent, Antetokounmpo is rehabbing from an offseason Achilles injury.
- 12-11: Bucks record vs. teams in the Western Conference.
- 17-17: Bucks record vs. teams with a .500 record or better on the day of the game.
- 15-18: Bucks record on the road. They have not been .500 away from Fiserv Forum this season since starting the year 1-1 on Oct. 27. They were 18-22 on the road last season. From 2018-23 they were one of the best teams on the road in the NBA, compiling a 123-74 (62.4%) record away from Milwaukee.
Is Giannis playing?
Yes, per head coach Doc Rivers. Giannis Antetokounmpo began the day probable to play vs. Lakers as he continues to manage soreness in his right knee. It’s an issue he’s dealt with since training camp but has yet to miss a game due to it. Antetokounmpo has played in 15 straight games since the all-star break.
What time is the Bucks game?
It is a late tip-off, with the game scheduled to start at 9:30 p.m. CT.
What channel are the Bucks on?
The game will be broadcast locally on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin with Dave Koehn, Marques Johnson and Melanie Ricks on the call. Josh Maurer will fill in on WTMJ Radio and the BMO Bucks Radio Network.
Bucks injury report
Lakers injury report
- LeBron James, out (left groin strain)
- Luka Dončić, out (right ankle sprain)
- Austin Reaves, out (right ankle sprain)
- Rui Hachimura, out (left patella tendinopathy)
- Maxi Kleber, out (right foot surgery recovery)
- Dorian Finney-Smith, doubtful (left ankle injury management)
- Jarred Vanderbilt, doubtful (right groin strain)
Bucks starters
- Guards: Ryan Rollins, Taurean Prince
- Forwards: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kyle Kuzma
- Center: Brook Lopez
Bucks vs. Lakers odds, over/under
Milwaukee is a 3.5-point favorite over Los Angeles, with the over/under set at 226.5 points, per BetMGM.
