In the highly-anticipated second game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Milwaukee Bucks, LeBron James delivered an MVP-level performance, but his running mate Anthony Davis delivered a great one as well, outdueling a great game from Giannis Antetokounmpo. James finished with game-high 37 points with eight rebounds and seven assists while Anthony Davis had 30 points in the game, with many of them coming in the 2nd half. With the win, the Lakers also clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2013.
Both teams set the tone early of a fierce defensive battle. With Milwaukee’s No. 1 defense and the Lakers. No. 3 defense coming into Friday’s game, both teams were locked in on their objectives. The Lakers used their size all over the court to pester the reigning MVP and the Bucks defense was locked in against both Anthony Davis and LeBron James. But time after time on Friday, unlike the first meeting between the two teams, LeBron James took control of things on the offensive end by scoring the ball.
James scored 14 of his points in the third quarter and had a couple of great one-on-one moments in his battle against Antetokounmpo. Davis, too, had 11 points in the quarter and he followed it up with double-digits again in the fourth quarter, scoring nearly all of his points in the second half when the Lakers needed them most to pull away from the Bucks.
Antetokounmpo never gave in to the Lakers having a great game with 32 points, 12 rebounds and six assists. Donte DiVincenzo was the player who did the most to help Giannis, scoring 17 points off the bench and helping key a Bucks rally in the fourth quarter after the Lakers led by as many as 15. Khris Middleton had an awful night, going 5 for 19 from the field.
Meanwhile, the Lakers had plenty of contributions from their role players like JaVale McGee (11 rebounds, 3 steals), Danny Green (30 minutes, 2 3-pointers), pesky defense from Avery Bradley and some key minutes in the second half from Alex Caruso.
But the Lakers don’t have much time to celebrate as they will face off against the Clippers on Sunday.
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