The Milwaukee Bucks did not see LeBron James in a purple and gold tonight. As a result, they immediately took advantage. They restricted the undermanned Lakers to 16 first-quarter points and mounted a 14-point lead at the half. However, it seems like the Bucks underestimated the Lakers’ roster, as Anthony Davis, D’Angelo Russell, and Austin Reaves combined for 92 points; all while forcing the Bucks to 13 points in the fourth.

Even though the Bucks held the lead for most of the time, even during multiple OTs, the Lakers prevailed 128-124. The sudden shift in the balance of the game marks one of the biggest disappointments in the Bucks’ season. The game’s trajectory clearly indicates a few grey areas within their offense and defense. However, according to their head coach Doc Rivers, the loss comes mostly due to the team’s inability to share the ball.

In the post-game conference, Rivers claimed “We didn’t trust the pass tonight. A lot of zero-pass shots or one-pass shots and when we play like that – we get away with it sometimes because guys make shots – but we lost our trust.”

On the stat sheet, the Bucks outran the Lakers in a major aspect. Despite the low shooting on both ends of the floor, they were the better shooting team. Moreover, they forced more runs to the basket, thanks to their 9 steals and forcing a total of 17 Lakers turnovers.

The Bucks also outdid the Lakers in assists. They scored on 37 assists while the Lakers did on 30. Moreover, the Bucks’ 37 assists mark a significant elevation from their season average of 27.7 assists per game. With that, Rivers’ comment might be in light of the crucial moments of the game that demands the team to put their best foot forward.

The Lakers’ win came through the entire team

The Bucks started heavy, scoring 32 to the Lakers’ 16 in the first quarter. They managed to shut the entire Los Angeles Lakers roster except for AD, who posted 15 points in the first 12 minutes.

As Davis’ determination sparked the team’s spirits, the Lakers matched the Bucks for 2nd quarter points, ending the half with a double-digit lead. Moreover, as the Bucks confidentially posted another 30 point quarter, Russell and Reaves sparked significant runs. This allowed Davis to anchor the team’s defense while battling the hard screens and tedious big man in the Bucks’ lineup.

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As a result, the fourth saw the Lakers mount a 27-13 run, forcing the game to OT behind AD’s heroics. Spencer Dinwiddie fed off an AD bucket to give the Lakers their first lead of the game midway through 1st OT, as Davis put on a game-saving block on Damian Lillard to send the game into second overtime.

After 3 minutes of scoreless possessions by both teams, Reaves put on a long ranger and traded buckets with Lillard, while Russell helped seal off the victory.

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