Watch Milwaukee Bucks @ Los Angeles Lakers live on Sky Sports Arena in the early hours of Saturday morning (3:30am)
Saturday 2 March 2019 04:12, UK
Eastern Conference leaders the Milwaukee Bucks head west to face the struggling Los Angeles Lakers, live on Sky Sports Arena.
Last month was kind to the Bucks (47-14), who went 10-1 in 11 games in February and emerged as the clear-cut leaders of the Eastern Conference, widening their lead over Toronto to three games.
With coach Mike Budenholzer at the helm, Milwaukee have been a force on both ends of the court, ranking first in the league in defensive rating while also owning the league's fourth-best offense.
Much of the team's success can be attributed to MVP contender Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is leading the team with 27.0 points and 12.6 rebounds per game.
In their last outing, Milwaukee were able to take down Sacramento, 141-140, in overtime behind a triple-double from Eric Bledsoe. Now, the team will shift its focus to southern California, where the Bucks will look to make the Lakers their 13th victim in their last 14 games.
The Lakers (30-31) are fresh off a much-needed win at home over the New Orleans Pelicans. They have won just two of their last six games and are currently 10th in the Western Conference.
The team's current position jeopardizes superstar LeBron James' 14-year streak of playoff appearances. James was the biggest factor in the Lakers' turnaround win on Wednesday night, as he notched a team-high 32 points and hit a turnaround three to seal the win in the final minute.
However, even with James having another superb season, the Lakers have struggled to maintain even an average offense. They rank 21st league-wide in offensive rating.
For the Lakers, Lonzo Ball (left ankle sprain) and Lance Stephenson (left foot, second toe sprain) are out. Sterling Brown (right wrist soreness), George Hill (left groin strain) and Donte DiVincenzo (bilateral heel bursitis) miss out for Milwaukee.
Despite owning the NBA's best overall defense, the Bucks have an issue defending their three-point line. No team allows more three-point shots than Milwaukee (35.2 per game). Opponents made 35.8 per cent of their threes against them.
Do the Lakers have the shooters to take advantage of this? Over the course of the season, the evidence says no. The Lakers rank 19th in the league for three-pointers made and 27th in three-point shooting percentage.
The trade deadline acquisitions of Reggie Bullock and Mike Muscala were designed to bolster their offense from downtown. It has worked to some degree. The Lakers three-point percentage is 35.5 per cent over their last 10 games compared to 33.5 per cent for the season.
59.1 - That's the percentage of Giannis Antetokoumpo's total shots the Bucks franchise star attempts at the rim (defined as 3ft from the basket or closer). He has made 77.1 per cent of these shots.
Giannis leads the NBA in both paint scoring and dunks and, as those numbers illustrate, is nearly impossible to keep from the basket due to his blend of athleticism, size and length.
Conventional wisdom says Khris Middleton is the Bucks' second-best player, but Bledsoe certainly runs him close. The two-way guard has enjoyed a superb season, averaging 15.7 points and 5.5 assists per game and locking down opposing guards with rugged, physical defense.
With Antetokounmpo on a minutes restriction, the Bucks almost faltered in their last game against the Sacramento Kings but Bledsoe stood tall, posting a 26-point, 13-assist, 12-rebound triple-double to lead the Bucks to an overtime win.
Kuzma is in the midst of a surge. Over his last seven games, he has hit 52.9 per cent of his shots - including a promising 41.9 per cent from three-point range - while averaging 23.0 points.
And while he went without a triple during Wednesday's win over the Pelicans, he did provide the most explosive sequence of the night. The Pelicans had seized a lead midway through the third quarter when Kuzma launched himself for three rim-rocking dunks in only two minutes, turning the momentum in the Lakers favour.
