The Lakers got off to a slow start against Milwaukee. A couple of defensive mishaps coupled with a few offensive rebounds allowed the Bucks to get out to a 10-0 start. The Lakers weren’t able to get anything to fall early in the 1st. They missed their first four 3-point attempts, a pair of mid range jumpers and some shots around the rim. After about five minutes in, Mike D’Antoni called a timeout to gather the team for a potential shift in momentum.
Out of the timeout, not much changed. The Lakers recorded their first bucket of the game after Milwaukee extended their lead to 14-0. It was seven minutes into the game when the Lakers got on the board, and by the 2:30 mark in the 1st, the Lakers were down 21-4. The Lakers would close out the quarter on a mini run, but would only manage 12 points in the 1st.
1st Q Score: 23-12, Milwaukee
The Lakers offense started looking a lot better in the 2nd quarter starting 4-6 in the first 3:40 of the quarter. Much like the rest of the season, turnovers and offensive rebounds have allowed the Bucks to keep pace as both teams had nine points in the quarter at the first TV timeout. Kendall Marshall got off to a great start in the 2nd quarter with a nice driving layup to the left and a deep 3-pointer from the Staples logo to give him five points.
The Lakers would take better care of the ball in the 2nd quarter, but Larry Sanders did a great job altering Lakers shots as the team only shot 32 percent from the field in the 2nd quarter. Also, the Lakers struggled handling Brandon Night as he was 3-4 in the quarter, with all three of his makes coming from the rim. That would be a theme for the Bucks in the 1st half as they would shoot 12/18 at the rim and only 8/31 everywhere else.
2nd Q Score: 42-33, Milwaukee
The Lakers would shoot .550 in the third quarter, but the Bucks shot .600 from the field as they extended their lead by the end of the quarter. The Lakers would start off well, cutting the Bucks lead to five, but Milwaukee, or rather Brandon Knight, would go on a run to take away the Lakers momentum. Knight would go 8-12 in the 3rd quarter alone with 18 points, 3 rebounds and an assist. For the game, Knight had 33 points and seven rebounds after the first 36 minutes.
Jordan Farmar came out of the half with some tightness in his hamstring and left the game early in the third and did not return, leaving Kendall Marshall the only point on a depleted roster.
3rd Q Score: 74-60, Milwaukee
The Lakers took some time to come alive, but they started chipping away at the Bucks lead a few minutes into the 4th. Pau Gasol got things going with a baseline reverse dunk, the team started getting some stops and Kendall Marshall got a look at the rim. With 6:15 left, the once 20-point deficit was down to 12.
After the lead was cut to 12, the game got a little sloppy with the Lakers scrambling to cut into the lead and the Bucks fighting to hold onto it. In the next two minutes, the Bucks would keep pace with the Lakers, trading baskets and turing turnovers into extra possessions to keep the Lakers from further chipping into the lead. The Lakers would get the game within 10, but a few missed free throws and a few offensive rebounds for the Bucks allowed for them to close out the game in the final minutes.
Final Score: 104-79, Milwaukee