Luka Doncic scores 41 to propel LA Lakers to NBA win over Milwaukee Bucks
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Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic drives towards the basket around Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma during the third quarter at Fiserv Forum.
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
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LOS ANGELES – Luka Doncic scored 41 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 119-95 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Nov 15, as the NBA champions Oklahoma City Thunder kept rolling.
Austin Reaves added 25 points and eight assists and Deandre Ayton chipped in 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Lakers, who wrapped up a five-game road trip and headed home hoping to see superstar LeBron James make his season debut soon.
Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 32 points and pulled down 10 rebounds for the Bucks, adding five assists and a blocked shot.
But after connecting on just 10 of their 41 shot attempts in the first half, they could not regroup.
The Lakers led by as many as 31, drilling 13 three-pointers and out-rebounding the Bucks 47-39.
Milwaukee made 11 of their 15 three-pointers in the second half but even as the Bucks’ shooting improved, the Lakers had an answer for every run they made.
Both teams were playing the second leg of back-to-backs and Doncic admitted he would be glad to get home after a week on the road. “We played a lot of games,” he said. “But everybody played amazingly, the way we found energy.
“I told the guys we’ve got to build on each other because I know everybody’s tired (but) we came here to win.”
James, who has been sidelined by sciatica, did not accompany the Lakers on the trip, instead practising with the team’s G League affiliate as he ramps up preparations to launch his unprecedented 23rd National Basketball Association season.
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer could be on the floor as soon as Nov 18, when the Lakers host the Utah Jazz.
“We can’t wait,” Doncic said this week. “All of us can’t wait.”
In Charlotte, NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points in less than 30 minutes on the floor to lead the Thunder to a fifth straight win.
Forward Chet Holmgren scored 25 points and grabbed eight rebounds for the Thunder, who lifted their league-best mark to 13-1.
After the Hornets erased a three-point half-time deficit, knotting the score at 57-57, the Thunder unleashed a 16-1 scoring run to seize a 15-point lead.
They led by 20 before taking a 17-point advantage into the fourth.
Even with Gilgeous-Alexander resting for the entire fourth quarter, the Hornets – who were without LaMelo Ball – could not reduce the deficit to single digits and lost 109-96.
“We had a nice response out of half-time,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said.
“We didn’t play our best game in the first half and we course-corrected nicely and made some adjustments to what we were doing and it was helpful in the third.”
In Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell scored 14 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter as the Cavaliers rallied for a 108-100 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Cavs trailed much of the way and were down by as many as 11 in the third quarter. But they out-scored the Grizzlies 32-16 in the final frame.
Evan Mobley scored 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for the Cavaliers.
Jaren Jackson Jr led the Grizzlies with 26 points but star point guard Ja Morant had just seven before exiting with a sore right calf after playing less than six minutes. AFP
