A 29-point loss to the Thunder was the wake-up call LA needed
The The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Milwaukee Bucks 119-95 on Saturday night to secure their second straight win. Towards downtown Los Angeles, Deandre Aytonthe team’s last loss gave them the urgency to lean on in the final two contests.
According to Ayton, the Lakers’ 121-92 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder served as required recoil electricity.
“That OKC game woke us up,” Ayton told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
Ayton had 20 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 9-of-13 from the field in Saturday’s victory. All-Star teammate Luka Dončić continued his great start to the season with 41 points, nine rebounds and six assists, while Austin Reeves had 25 points, six rebounds and eight assists.
The win marked the end of the Lakers’ five-game road trip. The team left 3-2 over this stretch and is now 10-4.
“You have to find moments to regain what makes you a good basketball team,” the Lakers head coach JJ Redick he told Spectrum SportsNet after Saturday’s win. “I think we’ve done that in the last 24 hours.”
Los Angeles beat the Bucks without Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura and LeBron James, who could be back sooner rather than later. It is not known how the Lakers will try to integrate the 41-year-old into their scheme.
“I’ve certainly thought about it,” Reddick told the Los Angeles Times. “The reality is that next week is going to be a great week for all of us to assess where we’re at and figure out what we want to work on. It’s rare that you have one game during the week, so you’re probably going to think about it more. But usually when you play every other day, you use your time until 3 a.m. to review the game you just played and then use the time for the next day.”
The Lakers will have a lot to consider when James returns, and their recent play suggests they could be primed for a championship run.
2025-11-16 15:42:00
