Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks brought out the best of LeBron James, Anthony Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, and the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday at the Fiserv Forum. Los Angeles' thrilling 133-129 win — the first stop of a critical road trip — was their finest performance since the Russ trade and raises their ceiling for the 2022-23 season.

It was a classic barnburner with a Finals atmosphere and unrelenting two-way effort by both teams; as high-quality a regular-season game as you’ll see. The Lakers reached a level they haven’t in years. The basketball IQ was off-the-charts. Adam Silver can use the individual excellence from this game in pitches to advertisers. Speaking as a fan: this game was sick.

“Team effort. We played for a full 48 minutes tonight. Taking punches,” AD said. “This is a big win for us.”

From a Lakers' POV, let's spotlight five takeaways from a nearly-flawless showing.

5 takeaways from Lakers' win over Bucks

Their offense hummed — and executed in crunchtime

The Lakers entered Friday with the NBA’s 26th-ranked offense overall and 30th-ranked net rating in clutch situations. Their inability to find a halfcourt groove in tight moments has been costly. Late-game decision-making is a usual talking point.

On Friday, against the league’s most formidable defense, L.A. sizzled from start to finish and held firm in the closing minutes.

The Lakers were crisp in execution. They passed with conviction and discipline, spread the wealth around, and made shots from all three levels (53.6% FG, 11-of-26 from 3). They had 32 assists against 4 turnovers. They outscored the Bucks 15-9 in the final five minutes whilst avoiding mistakes.

This is the tape to study all season long. A prototypical masterclass.

AD is playing MVP-caliber ball

Nobody is hooping better than Anthony Davis right now.

It doesn't get much better than dropping 44 points (18-of-27 FG), 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks against a former Defensive Player of the Year (Giannis, who had 40 himself) and the current DPOY frontrunner (Brook Lopez).

Davis was relentless. He created and nailed smooth and tough jumpers from all over the court. He put the ball on the floor and attacked the rim. He hit a couple of timely threes. More importantly, he never took his foot off the gas.

“Knowing how they play — Brook being out on the floor, Giannis being out on the floor — it wasn't probably gonna be a ‘get to the rim' game,” said AD. “So just trying to shoot over the top. And then after you make a couple, they start to close out and you're able to get to the paint.”

Davis has become the Lakers' best player — a necessary development. He's an early DPOY candidate. If the Lakers can climb into the playoff picture, he'll ascend into the MVP race.

Russ shined

When Westbrook makes smart decisions, the Lakers thrive. When he's seeking ill-advised shots and operating at the wrong tempo, the halfcourt offense sputters.

Russ was sharp as an antler against the Deer; nine assists in his first eight minutes, all of which were pinpoint dishes. He passed up pull-ups to slow things down and get the Lakers into sets. He consistently took what the defense gave him while creating a bevy of high-percentage looks for his teammates. He finished with 15 points (6-of-11 FG), 11 assists, and zero turnovers in 29 minutes off the bench. Elite point guard play.

All things considered, it was his cleanest game with the Lakers, and he did it against top-tier perimeter defenders.

 

His final-minute dive could end up as an indelible moment of the season. Davis said it epitomized “Lakers Basketball. Ham showed it to the team in the locker room.

“All three of our big dogs supporting one another and laying it on the line I thought was key,” Ham assessed. “And when we talk about winning habits and winning plays, that’s right there at the top of the list: all three of those guys involved to secure the win.”

LeBron is finding his stroke

Ah, right, LeBron James.

The Lakers are counting on LeBron — who doesn't get to the line as much as he used to — to help manufacture a competent three-point attack.

James struggled with his shooting efficiency to start the season. He shot 44.7% and made 23.9% of his treys through his first 10 games (he did have the flu). Since returning from a groin strain, LeBron has banked 20 of 40 three-point attempts.

On Friday, his perimeter prowess was Klutch. In the fourth quarter — after a second scare to his left ankle this week — he drilled two threes in a 40-second span.

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LeBron finished with 28 points, 8 rebounds, and — on the evening he passed Magic Johnson on the all-time assists list — 11 dimes.

James was dialed in on defense from the jump — an understandable rarity these days — encapsulated by his effort to run about 10 yards to block a Khris Middleton full-court heave at the end of the first half.

“I feel like tonight is the most complementary and the best game with (me, Russ, and AD) on the floor together that we’ve played on both sides of the floor,” LeBron said. “We all felt in a rhythm. We all felt we was making impactful plays throughout the whole game.”

A win over quality competition 

The Lakers' ceiling has been tough to gauge. Their wins have come against weak competition. Before the Bucks meeting, their last six dubs were vs. the San Antonio Spurs (three times), Portland Trail Blazers (without Damian Lillard), Brooklyn Nets (without Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons), and Detroit Pistons. The Lakers lost their previous seven matchups against healthy teams over .500.

The current six-game East Coast trip — preceding a brutal schedule through early January, considering volume, opponent, and travel — represents a critical barometer as trade season approaches. After the Bucks upset and before road games against the Washington Wizards, Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Toronto Raptors, the Lakers can proceed with newfound confidence.

“We wanted to set a tone for our road trip,” Davis acknowledged.

Their performance in Milwaukee serves as a useful reminder that, regardless of competition, simply building winning habits, chemistry, and positive vibes pays dividends.

“You want it to be perfect,” Ham said about the Lakers' latest encouraging output. “And excellence is getting it just almost 100 percent right. But there’s always going to be a little unforeseen circumstance or something that happens where you can’t get it completely perfect. But I’ll settle for excellence every day of the week and twice on Sunday.”

The Lakers (9-12) sit three games out of the four-seed in the West.