The Milwaukee Bucks put up an early fight against the Los Angeles Lakers but ultimately fell short, losing 123-112. Tyler Herro led all Bucks scorers with 27 points and seven assists, while Jaime Jaquez Jr.—coming off the bench for the first time this year—dropped 25 points. Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 30 points, while Sandro Mamukelashvili led the Lakers’ second unit with 23 off the bench.
NBA.com Box Score
Game Recap
Earlier in the day, it was announced that Myles Turner would rest, Kel’el Ware would start,
Nate Ament would start at SF, and Tyler Herro would be available. That lineup got off to a hot start, with Herro hitting a mid-range floater before Brayden Burries showed incredible body control, scoring over Walker Kessler with a tricky little finger roll. Of course, Luka Doncic needed just four minutes to score nine points—and he hardly broke a sweat—as the Lakers pulled out a 14-7 lead. Jenkins began rotating through the bench early, and tried several lineups and looks that kept LA on their toes. One of these rotations was Jaime Jaquez Jr., who seemed to have a respawn point under the hoop and, almost at Luka speed, scored eight points to keep the game within one possession for the rest of the first. Bucks down 30-28 after one.
Milwaukee stayed aggressive on defense to open the second, which helped keep the Lakers within striking distance. After LA built their lead back to eight, came the highlight of the night: Nate Ament posterizing Kessler on the fast break to snap the cold streak. Whew. Jaquez continued his effective play, matching Herro through the middle of the second with 13 points to lead the team in scoring. However, Milwaukee then hit their usual cold stretch, allowing the Lakers to piece together a 7-0 run that pushed their lead back to nine before the half. Accordingly, Herro had to check back in to quell the run, matching Luka’s 19-point half with 18 of his own. The Lakers would not slow down, though, and the Bucks went into the locker room down 50-61. Despite the hot-and-cold shooting, there was a lot to like from the first half, including the Bucks almost matching the Lakers’ shot total (44 to 46) and matching the assist total with 14.
Both teams got off to a slow start in the third because of disruptive wing defence. The Bucks, however, were less effective at closing out on defensive possessions, which allowed the Lakers to get multiple shots per possession and turn the tide. Their lead grew to 17 by the 5:20 mark, and as Milwaukee announcer Marques Johnson alluded to, the Bucks were trying to hold on tight to a rope that kept gradually being pulled away. And yeah, that is what it felt like: Milwaukee didn’t exactly give the game away, but they didn’t help themselves either, with too many defensive rebounds slipping away. Other than Herro and Jaquez Jr., no other Bucks player reached double figures by the end of the third, and the Bucks were now well behind at 73-94.
Former Buck Sandro Mamukelashvili opened the fourth quarter with a driving layup to bring his point total to 23, proving to be a real difference-maker. Milwaukee just couldn’t find its groove, shooting 2/11 through the first six minutes, with the deficit still hovering around 20. By then, the Bucks had scored just six second-chance points for the game (!) to the Lakers’ 31, illustrating their lack of front-court presence. During garbage time, however, Milwaukee stitched together a 13-0 run, which at least showed some continued hustle from a young team, but it ultimately masked another blowout loss.
Stat That Stood Out
Nine: The number of first-quarter assists for the Bucks. For the rest of the game, the Bucks notched just 16.
Obscene Overreaction
The Bucks need a primary playmaker, and while the recent returns haven’t been stellar, Milwaukee should consider starting Jakucionis to see if he can set the table and help others find their shots. There really isn’t a single player who would not benefit from the Bucks having a primary playmaker; someone who can help control the tempo and distribute the ball. This year will be all about development, and the Bucks need to see if Jakucionis can fill a reliable true point guard role.
