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Lakers vs. Bucks, 113-95: Unexpected Dominance at Home

The Lakers shocked the Bucks in their return to STAPLES Center with a blowout victory

The outlook for the Los Angeles Lakers coming off of a 1-7 road trip and riding a six-game losing streak as they went into Tuesday night to play the Milwaukee Bucks in STAPLES Center was certainly bleak. However, someone apparently forgot to mention that to the Lakers.

They must have also forgotten to tell the Lakers that they only had three wins coming into this game because they played like a team with a far better record than that. In fact, if this was the only Lakers game you’d seen all season, you might even think that they were a playoff team.

Even if this one game doesn’t mean that the Lakers are bound for the postseason, they put on a show in a big way in their return home.

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Kobe Bryant turned back the clock with his jump shooting, some vintage fadeaways, and some gorgeous passing. Moreover, D’Angelo Russell continued to impress, even going back to coming off of the bench. The rookie was making plays with both his scoring and passing and it was incredible to watch.

Possibly the most important thing that the Lakers showed on Tuesday night in the victory over the Bucks was they simply looked like a team that was enjoying themselves. Obviously that’s much easier for players to do when they’re winning, but it’s incredibly valuable for the players like Russell and Julius Randle to just be out there enjoying the moment if they are going to have success on a game-by-game basis.

Is this a turning point for the Lakers or just a flash in the pan against a Milwaukee team that’s been struggling on the road? It’s hard to tell at this point, but fans can enjoy this performance on Tuesday night on the home floor while they try to figure that out.

Three stars

Kobe Bryant looked like the Mamba of old. The 20-year veteran finished the night with 22 points, six assists, and three rebounds in only 27 minutes on 7-15 shooting from the field.

D’Angelo Russell continued to wow us all as he’s really getting into a groove as of late. The rookie put up 19 points, seven assists, four rebounds, and three steals on 6-12 shooting from the field—all in only 30 minutes off of the bench.

Jordan Clarkson wasn’t overwhelming in his return from injury, but played quite well on both ends. He finished the night with 12 points, six rebounds, three assists, and three steals.

Highlights

Odds

The Bucks were four-point favorites in this game and failed to cover in a big way. The two teams also combined to go well over the 197-point O/U line.

Next: 20 Greatest Lakers Performances Ever

Next Game

The Lakers will be at home again on Thursday as they welcome the Houston Rockets to STAPLES.

The Bucks will be in STAPLES again on Wednesday night to take on that other team from Los Angeles.

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