NBA heavyweights Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers will both set out to secure a return to winning ways when they go head to head at the Fiserv Forum on Friday.
This will be the first competitive meeting between the sides since March 2024, when they played out a thrilling 128-124 triumph, and another exhilarating affair could be on the cards here.
After winning seven of their first eight matches following the conclusion of the All-Star break, the Milwaukee Bucks have since gone on a downward spiral off the back of a third straight defeat against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday.
Doc Rivers’s men did splendidly well to recover from trailing by as many as 11 points to take a three-point lead heading into the final possession of the game, where Tyrese Haliburton completed a game-winning four-point play after he was adjudged to have been fouled on his game-tying three-point attempt.
In a game that saw Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, the highest-scoring NBA duo, combine for just 34 points, Brook Lopez notched 23 points on an impressive 9-11 shooting to lead the way for the Bucks.
While the Bucks remain fourth in the Eastern Conference standings, they have now relinquished their advantage over the Pacers just below them and now sit five wins shy of the New York Knicks in third.
With little time to dwell on a crushing defeat last time out, the Bucks must now rally themselves together for the visit of an opposing outfit that came out on top in both of last season’s encounters which produced an average of nearly 250 points per game.
Friday’s affair kicks off a brief three-game homestretch for the home side, after which they will entertain the challenge of the Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 16 and 17 respectively.
Fresh from having their eight-game winning run snapped at the hands of long-time rivals the Boston Celtics, the Los Angeles Lakers suffered consecutive defeats for the first time since early February courtesy of a disappointing 111-108 loss to the Brooklyn Nets in Tuesday’s matchup at Barclays Center.
The Lakers made a bright start to the contest and cruised to a 12-point advantage after the first quarter but were outscored 95-80 over the course of the remaining 36 minutes of action to leave them red-faced at the sound of the final whistle in New York.
Needing to shoulder a higher degree of offensive responsibility due to the absence of LeBron James, Luka Doncic recorded his second triple-double in a Laker jersey, putting up 22 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists but was only 8-26 from the field.
Albeit now two wins behind the Denver Nuggets in second, the Lakers are still third in the Western Conference standings but have work to do to retain that spot with a couple of teams down below now bearing in on them.
Having kicked off their four-game road trip with consecutive defeats, Friday’s visitors will be keen to get themselves back on track in Wisconsin before heading to the Ball Arena to lock horns with the Denver Nuggets.
Milwaukee Bucks NBA form:
W
W
W
L
L
L
Los Angeles Lakers NBA form:
W
W
W
W
L
L.
LeBron James will not play any part for the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday due to a groin problem, while Rui Hachimura is also unavailable with a knee injury.
German international Maxi Kleber is also out of contention here as he awaits his debut since joining from the Dallas Mavericks last month due to a foot issue.
Jaxson Hayes (knee) and Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle) were both absent against the Nets, but the latter could be back in time to feature for the away side.
The Bucks have a relatively clean bill of health for this one, with Chris Livingston (illness) and Tyler Smith (back) the only guaranteed absentees for this one.
Knocking down just four of his 14 shots last time out, guard Damian Lillard endured a rough outing against the Pacers but remains one to keep a close watch on.
Milwaukee Bucks possible starting five:
Lillard, Prince; Kuzma, Antetokounmpo; Lopez
Los Angeles Lakers possible starting five:
Doncic, Vincent; Reaves, Knecht; Len
