Milwaukee – Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 47 points & Khris Middleton tied Milwaukee’s career 3-pointers franchise record as the Bucks beat the Los Angeles Lakers 109-102 on Wednesday night.
Middleton returned after losing eight games due to COVID-19, playing 30 minutes & consecutive 3-pointers 30 seconds apart at the start of the fourth quarter to put the Bucks ahead for good. His second of those 3 was his 1,051th, with the Bucks matching Ray Allen for first place on the team’s all-time list.
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said, “It’s a very special place.” “I think we admire what Khris does every night, his ability to shoot, his 3 different modes & his consistency & longevity here.”
Allen holds an NBA record with 2,973 3-pointers in a career that also includes with the Seattle SuperSonics, Boston Celtics & Miami Heat.
LeBron James missed his eighth consecutive game for the Lakers due to an abdominal strain. The Lakers have gone 3-5 during that stretch.
Los Angeles is also missing Trevor Ariza & Kendrick Nunn, who have not appeared in a match so far this season.
“It’s a part of the game,” said Anthony Davis, who scored 18 points for the Lakers. “Same thing with the team we just played. They’ve got injuries too. It goes with the league, the business of the game. You go out there and put your body on the line every night, god forbid, during a season Something is going to happen. Somebody is going to get hurt. We have to adjust & fight till we take everyone back.”
Talen Horton-Tucker scored 25 points for the Lakers in two nights & a career-high 28 points in a 121–103 loss to Chicago. Russell Westbrook had 19 points, Malik Monk 11 & Carmelo Anthony 10 points.
Antetokounmpo posted his highest points total since scoring 50 in a Game 6 final victory over the Phoenix Suns, which won Milwaukee’s first title since 1971.
“I wanted to be the offensive out there,” Antetokounmpo said. “I wanted to initiate contact, get in the paint, make the right game & just play with an edge.”
Bobby Portis added 17 points for the Bucks. Middleton & Pat were 16-16 of Connaughton.
It’s just the third game this season in which the Bucks’ top three players – Antetokounmpo, Middleton & Jew Holiday – were all available. The only other time was a 127–104 season opening win over the Brooklyn Nets & a 121–111 victory at San Antonio on October 23.
Bucks center Brooke Lopez hasn’t played since a Nets game due to a back issue and guard Donnett DiVincenzo still hasn’t made his season debut. DiVincenzo tore a ligament in his left ankle during the first round of the 2020-21 playoffs.
TIP-INS
Lakers: Coach Frank Vogel talks practically about the name change in the Lakers’ home field. The building, known as the Staples Center since its October 1999 opening, will become the Crypto.com Arena from Christmas Day onwards. “It’s hard, you know what I mean?” Vogel said. “Lakers fans and really sports fans in general I think would know that building as Staples Center. I understand fans will be disappointed, but that’s the way of the world. This is the business in which we are.” There is a commercial element to naming rights with arenas, almost universally across the country. It’s really out of our control.”
Bucks: This win began a five-game home stand for the Bucks after returning from a five-game road trip. The Bucks went 2/3 on the Tour & ended it with defeats in Boston & Atlanta.
Next
Lakers: In the second game of a five-game tour on Friday in Boston.
Bucks: Host Oklahoma City on Friday. The Bucks split two games with the Thunder last season.