After an up-and-down road trip, the Los Angeles Lakers finally reached the conclusion when they took on the Milwaukee Bucks on the second night of a back-to-back.
The Lakers have largely looked uneven away from Los Angeles and their matchup against the Bucks was even tougher on paper as Rui Hachimura and Marcus Smart were ruled out prior to tip off.
Playing shorthanded isn’t new for the Lakers as players have been in and out of the lineup, but L.A. turned in its best half of the the 2025-26 season as they dominated Milwaukee and built a lead over 30 points. While the Bucks crept back into the game in the second half, the Lakers managed to hold on and close out the road trip with a 119-95 victory.
Luka Doncic has been on a tear this year, scoring almost at will while handling primary playmaking duties for Los Angeles. On a night when the Lakers were missing Hachimura and Smart offensively, Doncic took it upon himself to pick up the slack and ensure the team wouldn’t fall behind at any point. Doncic was his usual self in terms of getting to the free throw line, but he made Milwaukee pay on several occasions with stepback 3-pointers that killed any of their runs.
Doncic has arguably been the best offensive player in the league thus far and he made a compelling case with another scoring outburst. The Slovenian superstar finished the night with a game-high 41 points to go along with nine rebounds, six assists, one steal and two blocks.
Deandre Ayton has been one of the best players for Los Angeles this season, but he made his presence felt on both ends against the Bucks. Ayton drew the Giannis Antetokounmpo assignment defensively and while the Bucks superstar finished with 32 points, the Lakers center held his own in isolation situations.
On the other end, Ayton took advantage of a few miscues and was able to score on dunks and putbacks at the rim. Ayton finished with another double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds while also adding two steals and one block.
Doncic was the key offensive source in the first half, but Austin Reaves helped seal the win with a couple of clutch 3-pointers. Reaves finished with 25 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field including 5-of-9 from beyond the arc.
What’s next for the Lakers
The Lakers will now return home to host the Utah Jazz on Tuesday and get a few days off before seeing them for a rematch on Sunday.
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