The Milwaukee Bucks got the best of the Los Angeles Lakers and Luka Doncic to finally snap a three-game losing streak and temporarily secure their home-field advantage in the NBA playoffs.
With LeBron James sidelined from a strained left groin injury, Doncic had to put on a sensational performance in front of a national TV audience on TNT, but couldn't hold off strong efforts from the star duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.
The Bucks allowed Doncic to go off for 45 points, which was the most he scored in a Lakers uniform. But with 23 points chipped in from veteran big Brook Lopez along with four blocks, the Bucks were able to get a much-needed win.
After the game, Lillard took some time during his media session to heap big-time praise on the Slovenian superstar.
"He's an elite player," said Lillard in the postgame press conference on Thursday. "He makes threes off the bounce, he's drawing fouls. I think that's what makes it even more difficult."
Lillard continued to laud the new Lakers star for his exceptional game control and dominance on the court.
"You want to be physical you don't want to let him go where he want to go. ... Each bump and each reach, he's manipulating the game and kind of putting pressure on the referees to make those calls. He's taking that physicality away from the defense, drawing fouls, he's shooting threes, he's looking off the weak side making plays. You gotta give him a lot of attention."
Luka Doncic is the youngest Lakers player to have 45 PTS & 10 REB in a game since 1962 pic.twitter.com/FHFVgWJlAG
— Real Sports (@realapp_) March 14, 2025
The Lakers are now on a three-game losing streak and are looking to their new franchise star for solutions, which Lillard anticipated with James out for the foreseeable future.
"I think without Bron out there that was to be expected. It was gonna be pretty much how he played in Dallas, and that was how he came out."
With a crucial victory over the Lakers, Lillard and the Bucks maintain their lead over the Indiana Pacers, who are just half a game behind the No. 4 seed and they will face on Saturday in their final regular-season showdown.
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This story was originally published March 14, 2025 at 5:42 PM.