After bouncing back strong in their win against the Pelicans, the Lakers (9-4) are back at it on Saturday when they take on the Milwaukee Bucks (8-5). This will conclude their current five-game road trip. A victory would give them a winning record during this five-game stretch.
Start time and TV schedule
Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Milwaukee Bucks
When: 5 p.m. PT, Nov. 14
Where: Fiserv Forum
Watch: Spectrum Sportsnet
The Lakers are in for a tough challenge on Saturday night. The Bucks, although no longer the powerhouse team they
once were, are never easy to play against on their home court. Especially when Giannis Antetokounmpo is on top of his game.
Knowing that Luka Dončić is going to be in town, there’s certainly going to be some emphasis on this matchup against Antetokounmpo.
No, they’re not going to be guarding each other for 48 minutes, but it’ll be a battle of which superstar can carry their team to victory. Both the Lakers and Bucks are coming off wins from Friday night’s NBA Cup action.
The Bucks, in particular, have started their season in an up-and-down fashion. They’ve won eight of their first 13 games, but have suffered frustrating losses against the Hornets, Raptors, and Kings.
Similar to the Lakers, the statistics indicate that the Bucks are a mediocre team at present, ranking 12th in the league in offense and 20th in defense. They average 118.0 points per game, which ranks 15th best in the league and are a bottom-tier rebounding team.
Still, Antetokounmpo is very much capable of dominating the game enough for the Bucks to have an edge. The same goes for Dončić with the Lakers. Aside from this game featuring each team’s respective generational talents, it’ll also be about which roles players will step up.
For the Lakers, it has to be the wings, such as Rui Hachimura, Jake LaRavia and Jarred Vanderbilt, that take their game to another level.
The thing about this Bucks team is that they’re capable of garnering contributions from across the board. Kyle Kuzma and Ryan Rollins have been playing well to start the year.
Myles Turner has been relatively decent. Bobby Portis will be Bobby Portis, while the likes of AJ Green, Gary Trent Jr. and Cole Anthony can get hot any time.
The Lakers’ defense will have to be sharp, especially against a frontcourt that features Antetokounmpo and Turner. Deandre Ayton will certainly have his hands full protecting the paint.
It’s not going to be easy for the purple and gold, but if they want to end their road trip on a strong note, then they have to prevail.
Winning challenging games like this on the road on the second night of a back-to-back is what separates a championship contender from a great team.
Notes and Updates
- The Lakers head home after this contest. They’ll play five of their next six games in Los Angeles.
- Since both teams are on the second night of a back-to-back, no injury report yet for this one.
- However, expect LeBron James (right sciatica) and Gabe Vincent (left ankle sprain) to be out.
- As for the Bucks, Kevin Porter Jr. (meniscus surgery) and Taurean Prince (neck surgery) will also be out.
You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.
