Shorthanded Lakers fall to Bucks

Los Angeles, CA – The Los Angeles Lakers could not overcome missing multiple players as the Milwaukee Bucks blew past them for a 118-89 road win at Crypto.com Arena. Several Lakers players missed the game to rest or to recover from injuries. LeBron James and Luka Doncic were not in the lineup against Milwaukee.

Lakers head coach JJ Redick shared his thoughts on playing the game without his star players.

“I think it probably reinforced some thoughts,” Redick said. “We’ve been really, really good. It’s weird, we’ve been really good with our greens. I think we started really doing it again in the New York [Knicks] game in the [Madison Square] Garden.

“For some reason, and maybe it’s just not having full strength and playing guys that haven’t been with us all year, but for some reason, we haven’t been able to execute that against Giannis [Antetokounmpo]. Their technique has just been God-awful. No matter how many times we talk about it, show it, it just hasn’t been there,” he added.

LOS ANGELES, CA – Los Angeles Lakers guard Gabe Vincent tries to evade Milwaukee center Giannis Antetokounmpo during an NBA game played at Crypto.com Arena on March 20, 2025. The Bucks defeated the short-handed Lakers, 118-89. Photo credit: Dennis J. Freeman courtesy of The Bulletin

Other players on the Lakers roster, like Bronny James, saw many opportunities, but it was not enough as the Bucks dominated from start to finish.

“We’ve obviously monitored him in the G [League] and feel like in those sorts of end game situations when he’s gotten a chance to play with us, he’s been really good,” Redick said of Bronny James. “So, [I’m] not surprised by tonight. I think his confidence is growing.”

From the start of the game, it was clear the Lakers were outmatched. Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo just controlled the game by attacking the paint and getting to the foul line. His preference is to attack the rim, and with the Lakers not having their main rotation pieces, Antetokounmpo had his way.

Antetokounmpo finished the game with 28 points.

After the game, Milwaukee head coach Doc Rivers talked about the dominance of Antetokounmpo against a Lakers team too powerless to stop him.

“Yeah, you just attack and then make plays,” Rivers said. “That’s what we want them to do every night. We want to put the ball in his hands. We didn’t want him to play in the fourth, so we just figured let’s play them in the third and get it over with.”

Due to constant pressure at the rim by Antetokounmpo, open three-point baskets were created and players like Gary Trent Jr. (28 points) took advantage.

The combination of Antetokounmpo and a consistent three-point shooting game, the Lakers could never fully make a comeback.

LOS ANGELES, CA – Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James gave the team a big lift against the Milwaukee Bucks coming off the bench to score 17 points in a 118-89 defeat at Crypto.com Arena on March 20, 2025. Photo credit: Dennis J. Freeman courtesy of The Bulletin

Missing four starters and two important bench players from the rotation made the contest against the Bucks a tough hill to climb for the Lakers.

“We just got to play hard, can’t really take much from the game, we were down four starters…in these types of games you just have to play hard, win, lose or draw just compete,” said Lakers forward Markief Morris.

The Lakers have been battling a gruesome schedule with several back-to-back games. Along with the scheduling, injuries have been nagging the Lakers. Being talent-depleted and getting blown out by the Bucks won’t produce many positive results.

While the game and the end result are underwhelming, one silver lining for the Lakers and Redick is the play of Bronny James. James scored 17 points and played his best game of the season.

James, who has been playing well in the G-League for the South Bay Lakers, finally played real minutes for the Lakers team. He finished the game with 17 points, three rebounds, five assists, and two three-pointers.

Capitalizing on the opportunities in this loss to the Bucks is a step in the right direction of his development.

“I think the next step is for him to become an elite conditioned athlete,” Reddick remarked.

Missing so many important players has been a theme over the last few weeks has hurt the Lakers in some games.

The current stretch of games on their schedule has proven to be tough for the Lakers. Missing key players hasn’t helped. With playoff positioning beginning to matter now, the Lakers hope to get all of their players back and healthy.

This article appears courtesy of The Bulletin newspaper