The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 119-95 on Saturday night to secure their second straight victory. According to Los Angeles center, Deandre Ayton, the team’s latest loss has granted them the urgency to find their footing over the last two contests.
According to Ayton, the Lakers’ 121-92 loss the the Oklahoma City Thunder served as a needed jolt of electricity.
“That OKC game woke us up,” Ayton told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
Ayton posted 20 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 9-of-13 from the field in Saturday’s winning effort. All-Star teammate Luka Doncic continued his torrid start to the season with 41 points, nine rebounds, and six assists, while Austin Reaves tallied 25 points, six rebounds, and eight assists.
The win marked the end of what had been a five-game road trip for the Lakers. The team went 3-2 across this stretch and is now 10-4 on the year.
“You got to find moments to recapture what makes you a good basketball team,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick told Spectrum SportsNet after Saturday’s win. “I think over the last 24 hours we've done that.”
Los Angeles defeated the Bucks without Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura, and LeBron James, who could return sooner rather than later. It is not known how the Lakers will attempt to integrate the 41-year-old into their scheme.
“I've certainly thought about it,” Redick told the Los Angeles Times. “The reality is, next week will 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 over the course of a week, so probably will think about it more then. But typically when you're playing every other day, you're using your time until 3 a.m. to review the game that you just played and then using the time the next day until 3 a.m. to get ready for the next game.”
The Lakers will have much to consider once James returns, and their recent play suggests that they could be primed for a championship run.
