BBNBA: Bucks Win Battle for Best in NBA Against Lakers
(Joe Murphy | NBAE via Getty Images)
Good afternoon, folks. The Los Angeles Lakers are good, but the Milwaukee Bucks are good good. Let’s talk NBA.
RECAP
Giannis and Bucks top Davis, Bron, and Lakers
In a matchup between the NBA’s two best teams, the Milwaukee Bucks (25-4) made a statement in a dominating 111-104 win against the Los Angeles Lakers (24-5). It was the second consecutive loss for the Lakers, who had previously won 24 of its first 26 games to start the season against a relatively light schedule. Milwaukee came out looking for the kill early, establishing a quick first-quarter lead before ballooning its halftime advantage to 19 points.
Giannis Antetokounmpo posted 34 points and 11 rebounds for the Bucks, who were without Eric Bledsoe for the third straight game as he recovers from a fractured leg. Despite the shorter rotation, the Bucks won this game with its stellar bench play, outscoring the Lakers in that area 34-4.
”I wasn’t the No. 1 pick, AD was, LeBron was,” Antetokounmpo said, according to AP. ”I wasn’t supposed to be here. I wasn’t supposed to go up against these two beasts. So I’m just happy that I’m here and happy that I’m going through the process and I always want to be better, do better for my team and that’s what gives me joy.”
Anthony Davis led the BBNBA with 36 points on 11-25 shooting (although he was 0-6 from beyond the arc) to go along with 10 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks in 43 minutes. LeBron James registered his seventh triple-double of the season for the Lake Show. Rajon Rondo played in 17 minutes for L.A., adding two points, two rebounds, and three assists, but with five turnovers.
Other notes
- Patrick Patterson appeared in 12 minutes, hitting two triples for the Los Angeles Clippers in its 122-117 loss to the Houston Rockets. Also, here is a fun stat about the former Kentucky big.
Only three Kentucky players coached by John Calipari rank in top 100 among active NBA players in career 3-point %. They are:
Karl-Anthony Towns (22nd)
Darius Miller (40th)
Patrick Patterson (75th)Coincidentally (?), they each played on at least one of Cal’s three best teams.
— Josh Moore (@JoshMooreHL) December 19, 2019
- Trey Lyles started his third consecutive game – and 17th on the year – for the San Antonio Spurs in a 118-105 win over the Brooklyn Nets. Lyles played in only 10 minutes, shooting 1-4 from the field for just four points and two rebounds.
- Check out the full stat sheet below.
STATISTICS
| Player | Result | Points | FG (3FG) | Reb. | Ast. | Steals | Blocks | TOs | +/- | Mins. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Davis (LAL) | 104-111 L @ MIL | 36 | 11-25 (0-6) | 10 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | +6 | 43 |
| Patrick Patterson (LAC) | 117-122 L vs. HOU | 6 | 2-4 (2-4) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -7 | 12 |
| Trey Lyles (SAS) | 118-105 W vs. BKN | 4 | 1-4 (0-3) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -3 | 10 |
| Rajon Rondo (LAL) | 104-111 L @ MIL | 2 | 1-3 (0-1) | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | -11 | 17 |
| Eric Bledsoe (MIL) | 111-104 W vs. LAL | DNP-Leg | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Keldon Johnson (SAS) | 118-105 W vs. BKN | DNP-G League | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
TONIGHT IN THE NBA
7:00: Grizzlies @ Cavaliers (Knight)
7:00: Kings (Fox, Gabriel) @ Pacers
7:30: Pistons @ Celtics (Kanter)
7:30: Wizards (Wall-out) @ Raptors
8:00: Knicks (Knox, Randle) @ Heat (Adebayo, Herro)
8:00 (ESPN): Mavericks @ 76ers
8:00: Suns (Booker-questionable) @ Thunder (Diallo-out, Gilgeous-Alexander. Noel)
9:00: Timberwolves (Towns-questionable) @ Nuggets (Murray, Vanderbilt)
10:00: Magic @ Trail Blazers (Labissiere)
10:30: Pelicans (Miller-out) @ Warriors (Cauley-Stein)
