The Milwaukee Bucks continue to trade wins and losses on the schedule, as they lost 119-95 to the Los Angeles Lakers at Fiserv Forum on Nov. 15.
The Bucks, who beat the Charlotte Hornets in overtime on Nov. 14, have not won two consecutive games since Oct. 28-30 as they fell to 8-6 on the year. The loss to Los Angeles marked the end of five games in a seven-day stretch for the Bucks, though the Lakers (10-4) were also playing on a back-to-back (winning in New Orleans on Nov. 14) and for the fourth time in six days.
“It doesn’t matter,” Antetokounmpo said of the possible hangover from a tough game against the Hornets. “I think anybody that plays in the NBA knows that back-to-backs is part of the game, and is part of the NBA season and you’ve got to get ready for that.
“You gotta prep mentally for the load of a back-to-back. You gotta like, exercise in the offseason so you’re able to play back-to-backs, so it’s not an excuse. Was the Lakers on a back-to-back, too? So yeah, that’s not an excuse. We didn’t play well. Play better. Try not to make excuses as an athlete, as a human being.
“I think they played better than us. They were up 30 in the half, we scored 32 or 34 points right? At halftime. That’s not good. That’s not good enough. That’s on pace to score 64 points in the whole game. Obviously shots that we usually make, they didn’t go in, but that cannot dictate our defense.
“Like, at the end of the day, if the shot go in or the shot doesn’t go in, you gotta be able to still play hard, still put your body on the line, still able to rebound the ball. Sometimes the shot’s not going to go in, you gotta drive the ball, get in the paint, try to make something happen.
“So, yeah, maybe; was we tired? Maybe yes. I don’t know. But they were tired, too. They played a back-to-back and they had the flight, right? Did they play a back-to-back in Milwaukee last night? No, right. So they had the flight, so they probably were more tired than us. So that’s not an excuse.”
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Giannis, Luka don’t disappoint
After logging 40 minutes each in their respective games the night before going head-to-head Nov. 15, two of the NBA’s leading scorers in Luka Dončić (33.7) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (32.6) did not disappoint a large crowd at Fiserv Forum.
Antetokounmpo finished with 32 points on 9 of 15 shooting, and he scored 15 of those points in the third quarter as the Bucks turned a 31-point halftime deficit more respectable. He was also 13 of 18 from the free throw line while pulling down 10 rebounds.
Antetokounmpo also handed out five assists in the third quarter, and then hit a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter.
It was Antetokounmpo’s 156th career game in which he scored at least 30 points, pulled down at least 10 rebounds and handed out at least five assists. He trails only former Bucks legends Oscar Robertson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (157) for most in NBA history.
Antetokounmpo did score 14 first half points on 3 of 7 shooting and 8 of 10 from the free throw line, but he not record an assist until the second half one night after handing out 18 due to the Bucks’ remarkably cold shooting (25%) in the first half.
The Bucks had no answer for Dončić, however, who scored 41 points on 9 of 19 shooting, including 5 of 11 from behind the 3-point line. It was his 50th career game with at least 40 points and his fourth on the season.
Dončić did most of his damage in the decisive first half, scoring 21 points and handing out five assists that accounted for 11 more as the Lakers took a commanding 31-point lead at intermission. When the Bucks went on a nice run to cut the deficit to a somewhat manageable 14 points in the third quarter, Dončić dropped back-to-back 3-pointers and a floater on Milwaukee to push the Lakers lead back to 20.
In terms of the supporting players, Milwaukee did a decent job on Austin Reaves (25 points on 9 of 17 shooting) until the fourth quarter when the shooting guard drained three big 3-pointers to quiet the crowd and suppress a bubbling Bucks rally. Center Deandre Ayton was able to score 20 points on 9 of 13 shooting and pull down 10 rebounds.
AJ Green scored 15 points for the Bucks on 5 of 10 shooting from behind the 3-point line, and Gary Trent Jr. added 13 off the bench.
On second night of back-to-back, Bucks go ice cold
The Bucks came into the game as the league’s best-shooting team (50.9%) and the second-best 3-point shooting team (41.3%), but 24 hours after a hard-fought overtime win against Charlotte they clearly didn’t have the legs to keep up with the Lakers.
Already down 30-18 after the first quarter, the Bucks scored just 16 points in the second quarter. They were just 3-for-19 from the floor (1-for-8 from behind the 3-point line) and did not record a field goal over the final 8 minutes, 1 second of the frame.
“I feel like we got good shots for the most part at the beginning of the game, we just didn’t hit ’em,” Bucks guard Ryan Rollins said. “Most of ’em were short, too, so maybe that’s tired legs or whatever the case may be but even when we’re not making shots we gotta do better on the defensive end, stay in the game.”
The 34 points they scored in the first half was not just a season low for the team, but it was the fewest amount of points any team had scored in the first half of a game this season. It was the fourth fewest points scored in a first half in franchise history.
The Bucks had as many turnovers (10) as field goals in shooting a woeful 25% (10 of 40) overall. They made just 4 of their 20 3-point attempts.
“Honestly, we were just tired tonight,” Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said. “I think you watched (Nov. 14) game? It was an overtime game played at an amazing pace, so I think we’ll keep getting better, maybe keep getting in better shape on it (a back-to-back) but we had nothing tonight.
“It’s funny. I wanted to fire our offense but we were wide open on a ton of threes and that’s what we do and we just couldn’t make any of ’em. Then I thought as it went on, I thought the ball stopped, ’cause I didn’t think; Ryan always goes downhill, didn’t go downhill much tonight.
“So, you know, it’s one of those games you try to figure out a combination and tonight we just couldn’t do it.”
The starters played a bit into the third quarter, but the first half was basically the game.
Unfortunately for the Bucks, their shooting stroke on the second night of back-to-backs hasn’t been there to date.
In a loss at Toronto on Nov. 4, Milwaukee shot 43% overall (37-for-86) and 28.9% (11-for-38) from behind the 3-point line. In a win at Dallas on Nov. 10, the Bucks shot 45.1% (41-for-91) overall and 38.9% (14-for-36) from distance.
“I don’t know what it is,” Antetokounmpo said of the team’s shooting woes when playing consecutive nights. “I don’t know what it is. I think on a back-to-back it’s about will and yeah, will, grit. Being able to come in and even if you’re tired, play the right way, move the ball, knock down the shots, if they’re not falling do something else.
“I don’t know how you can get it better than basically get in shape. Obviously we’ve played six games in (nine) nights so obviously there’s going to be one of those days, but you’re telling me three times it’s been in an back-to-back so it’s gotta be something that I’m missing or the team is missing.
“So, we just gotta be better. Gotta be better. Execute, and we gotta be able to knock down shots, we gotta be able to create open shots so we feel more comfortable to knock them down. Yeah, I don’t know. As we move on forward we will try to figure it out.”
Luka, Lakers rack up free throws vs. Bucks
Los Angeles came into the game third in the league in free throw attempts per game (28.0) and fifth in makes (21.9). Dončić averaged 11.3 attempts while Reaves was at 10.2.
The Bucks, meanwhile, came in committing 23.4 fouls per game – fifth-most in the NBA.
Before the game, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers chuckled and said there isn’t much the team can do other than try not to foul – but that Dončić gets to the line against everyone.
The Lakers star drew 14 fouls and going 18 of 20 from the free throw line. It was his most free throw attempts on the season and only four fewer than the entire Bucks team.
Milwaukee did play solid enough defense on Reaves (2-for-3 from the free throw line) and the rest of the Lakers added eight more attempts to go 30-for-33.
Even if Rivers somewhat expected Dončić to challenge his team, it didn’t mean he thought they were all earned fouls. With 3 minutes, 35 seconds left in the game, Rivers challenged a foul call on Kyle Kuzma on a Dončić 3-point attempt in front of the Bucks bench. The review determined Kuzma did foul him, causing Rivers to throw his hands down in exasperation.
“Luka is good,” Rivers said flatly after the game. “We could explain it any other way you want to. Luka’s good. I still disagree with the challenge. I don’t think you should be allowed to kick out. I thought the contact was Luka’s foot kicking out.
“If you can’t challenge a shot and he said it’s your natural rhythm to kick out, I don’t know how you guard anybody. I mean, I could’ve scored eight points a game with these rules. Ten points.”
Even with Giannis Antetokounmpo (10.1 free throws per contest), the Bucks had come into the game 28th in free throw attempts (21.9) and 29th in free throws made (15.4). They are the worst free throw shooting team, also, in making just 70.2%. They made 66.7% of their 24 attempts vs. the Lakers.
5 numbers
1-2: Bucks record in the second game of back-to-backs.
Rollins: “We gotta find a way. We ain’t got our legs, we ain’t got our intensity, we gotta find a way. Whatever that may be. Find a way.”
2-1: Bucks record in the first game of back-to-backs.
5-3: Bucks record vs. teams with a .500 record or better on the day of the game.
17: Turnovers by Milwaukee, leading to 26 points for Los Angeles.
90: Minutes for the Marquette court to be switched over to the Bucks court following the Golden Eagles loss to Maryland earlier in the afternoon on Nov. 15.
Is Giannis playing?
Probably. Despite logging 40 minutes against the Hornets – a season high – he is listed as probable to play despite managing pain in his left knee. Antetokounmpo enters the game averaging 32.6 points, 11.5 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game. He is also shooting 10.1 free throws per game.
Is Luka playing?
Yes. Los Angeles star Luka Dončić also played 40 minutes on Nov. 14, but he is not on the injury report. The point guard is averaging 33.7 points, 9.2 assists and 8.9 rebounds per game. He is also shooting 11.3 free throw attempts per game.
Is LeBron playing?
No. NBA all-time scoring leader LeBron James is out, as he has yet to play this season due to sciatica. James, who will turn 41 in December, is coming off a season in which he was an all-NBA second team member and averaged over 24 points per game. He is currently working his way back with Los Angeles’ G League team.
When was the last time LeBron James played in Milwaukee?
Dec. 2, 2022.
Since moving to the Western Conference for the 2018-19 season, fans in Milwaukee only have one opportunity per regular season to see James. James, now in his seventh season with the Lakers, has not played often at Fiserv Forum.
He had a triple-double (21 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists) in a Lakers loss on Dec. 19, 2019. In a Lakers win on Jan. 21, 2021, he scored 34 points, and in his last appearance on Dec. 2, 2022, he scored 28 points, had 11 rebounds and eight assists in a Lakers win.
James had not played the Bucks at all, home or away, each of the last two seasons.
What channel is the Bucks game on?
The game will be simulcast locally on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin and CBS 58 with Lisa Byington, Marques Johnson and Melanie Ricks on the call.
What time is the Bucks game?
It is scheduled for a 7 p.m. tip off.
Bucks probable starting lineup
Guards: Ryan Rollins, AJ Green
Forwards: Kyle Kuzma, Giannis Antetokounmpo
Center: Myles Turner
Bucks head coach Doc Rivers changed his starting lineup for the first time on Nov. 14, moving Gary Trent Jr. to the bench in favor of Kuzma. Rivers said the change was due to the Bucks needing more size on the defensive end for rebounding and some matchups, so it feels that the change may not be a temporary one. Dončić is 6 feet, 8 inches and Kuzma is 6-10, so it is likely Kuzma will draw that assignment most chances.
- Taurean Prince, out (neck surgery)
- Kevin Porter Jr., out (right meniscus surgery)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, probable (left patellar tendinopathy)
Bucks vs. Lakers odds
Los Angeles is a 1.5-point favorite on the road over Milwaukee, with the over/under set at 229.5 points per BetMGM.