The Milwaukee Bucks got a much-needed win against a shorthanded Los Angeles Lakers for the second time in a week. Giannis had 28 points in 29 minutes of game time, while Gary Trent Jr. and Kyle Kuzma combined for 43 on 15/26 shooting from the floor. It was the two rookies for the Lakers who were the lone bright spots: Dalton Knecht and Bronny James, who each had 17, a career-high for the latter (though James was also a -36, second worst behind Shake Milton).
NBA.com Box Score
Game Recap
After a frustrating offensive performance on Tuesday against the Golden State Warriors, the Bucks came out looking to get things rolling early against the depleted Lakers squad. They did just that as they rushed out to a 12-3 lead, hitting five of their first six shots. The Lakers quickly swung back to tie the game, before the Bucks responded with a 16-0 run with 2:11 left. Over the last couple minutes of the frame, the two sides traded buckets, leading to the Bucks taking a 34-19 lead heading into the second quarter. Gary Trent Jr. was hot from the field in the quarter, scoring eight points in his first 6:56 of game time on the floor.
Milwaukee kept up their momentum from the first to the early part of the second, building their lead to as many as 23 points with 10:24 in the frame. However, after that the Bucks’ offense seemed to stall yet again, with them up by 20, the Lakers went an 11-2 run to bring the game back within single digits thanks to an Alex Len three-pointer over Brook Lopez in the left corner. The timeout taken by Doc Rivers of the Bucks didn’t seem to help much but kept the Lakers at bay, getting as close as eight points throughout the quarter. Yet thanks to Trent’s fourth three-pointer of the half, Milwaukee went into the locker room up by 11 over Los Angeles, 57-46.
Giannis asserted himself early to start the third, scoring the first four points of the quarter for the Bucks. Yet even with Milwaukee up 14, the pesty Lakers wouldn’t go away, with Dalton Knecht scoring four points midway through the third to keep Los Angeles within striking distance. The Greek Freak continued to take advantage of the slow-footed Len, getting to the charity stripe eight times for a solid stretch of the quarter, hitting 7/8. It was all part of a 15-3 run for the Bucks to expand the lead back to 20 points, thanks to his sixth three-pointer of the night, forcing a timeout by Lakers head coach JJ Redick. Giannis would end up shooting 10 total free throws during the stanza, hitting 9/10 as they took a 22-point lead into the final quarter, 91-69.
The Bucks were finally able to put it away, thanks to a massive run. Starting with 5:14 left in the third quarter to the 7:09 mark in the fourth (10:05 of game time), the Bucks went on an extended 32-16 run to make it a 25-point game. Shortly after that, both coaches put out some of their younger players, and the Bucks continued to build to a 35-point lead. It was cruise control from there for the Bucks en route to their 29-point victory.
Stat That Stood Out
From the start of December to January 12, Giannis was shooting just 54.2% from the free throw line, well below his season average (60%). Now since the All-Star break, he’s been much better, shooting 67.4% coming into tonight, and he added to it with a 10/12 performance against the Lakers.
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