New FSM Essential Recap: Lakers vs Bucks - Game 16

New FSM Essential Recap: Lakers vs Bucks – Game 16

Franchise Sports Media

Los Angeles Lakers (8-8) | Milwaukee Bucks (7-8)

 

The Los Angeles Lakers fell once again, this time to the Milwaukee Bucks by a final score of 109-102.

 

The game began with the Lakers scoring the first five points thanks to Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook. The Bucks’ first points came on a jam by Giannis Antetokounmpo. Talen Horton-Tucker quickly responded with a three to open up an 8-2 lead in the first three minutes but was answered by Antetokounmpo scoring two more points early on.

After an Avery Bradley three put Los Angeles up by seven, Milwaukee started a short scoring spurt led by Antetokounmpo with the first eight points before Bobby Portis became Milwaukee’s second scorer of the night.

With the lead cut down to three, the Lakers made a run. The team scored seven straight points with shots from Westbrook, Horton-Tucker, and Carmelo Anthony to build a 10 point lead halfway through the first quarter. Los Angeles tried to maintain, but Pat Connaughton stepped up with two threes, along with three more points from Antetokounmpo, to bring the game to within three points. Antetokounmpo gave Milwaukee their first lead of the game with a three-pointer, followed by a couple of paint points after a Davis jumper. After one frame, Rajon Rondo ended the quarter with a three with one second left to give the Lakers a 32-30 lead.

The second quarter started with the teams keeping pace with one another, with the Bucks taking back the lead after a Portis dunk three minutes into the quarter. Portis extended the lead for Milwaukee with a three, and a two-point shot by Connaughton pushed the lead to six. Los Angeles brought the deficit to two points, but Jrue Holiday undid the efforts by hitting a three to make it a five-point game.

With 2:46 left in the half, Antetokounmpo scored two more points to build a seven-point cushion. The Bucks began to outpace the Lakers in the final two minutes of the second quarter, as a Westbrook three was sandwiched by Portis hitting two jump shots and a back-to-back sequence with an Antetokounmpo three and a Portis layup.

 

After keeping it close most of the half, Los Angeles found themselves trailing 64-53 at the half.

 

The Lakers looked to finally have a good third quarter and get back into the game. Anthony hit a three to start the scoring but was answered by an Antetokounmpo dunk 12 seconds later. Four minutes into the quarter, Anthony and Horton-Tucker hit threes after Holiday laid one in to cut the lead from 10 to four. Antetokounmpo and Holiday responded with two mid-range jumpers to regain an eight-point lead.

A Davis dunk with five minutes left in the third quarter sparked a scoring run for Los Angeles that totaled 9-0 in a span of 1:49 to take their first lead since early in the second quarter. However, the lead would be short-lived as Connaughton nailed a three, but Horton-Tucker tied the game at 81 with a two-point conversion.

Horton-Tucker drove to the basket for a layup to put Los Angeles in the lead, but Khris Middleton had other plans as he sank two jump shots in the final minute to give the Bucks an 85-83 lead after the third quarter came to an end.

The scoring pace slowed down at the start of the fourth quarter as the first two and a half minutes saw only a Rondo layup and a Holiday free throw. Malik Monk ended the scoring drought with a floater shot, but Middleton immediately responded with two straight threes to give Milwaukee a five-point advantage. Davis and Horton-Tucker tried to keep Los Angeles in the game with a two-point shot apiece, but Antetokounmpo and company began to heat up late.

Following an Antetokounmpo layup, Connaughton hit a three to contribute to what would become an eight-point lead once again for the Bucks. Monk scored four straight points to keep the game close, but more damage from Middleton and Antetokounmpo undid the progress. For the remainder of the game, the Bucks answered every Lakers score and came away with the win 109-102.

It was another frustrating loss for the Lakers, who saw five double-digit scorers on the night. Horton-Tucker led the team with 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for a double-double, while Westbrook had a double-double of his own with 19 points and 15 assists. Davis had a relatively quiet game with just 18 points, while Monk had 11 points off the bench, and Anthony scored 10 points.

The Bucks had four double-digit scorers, but the big difference was Antetokounmpo going off with 47 points. Portis scored 17 points in 29 minutes, while Middleton and Connaughton each added 16 points.

 

The Lakers next game will be on Friday as the second leg of their road trip takes them to Boston to renew their historic rivalry against the Boston Celtics. The game will begin at 4:30 and can be seen on ESPN and Spectrum SportsNet.

 

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– Matt Dobbs – Franchise Sports Media

Follow Matt on Twitter @RecordBowlerFSM

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