5. Limit Turnovers
Whenever you play Giannis Antetokounmpo, the worst thing you can do is allow him to get going on a fast break. His strength and extraordinarily long strides make him nearly impossible to stop in the open floor. Milwaukee’s 3-point shooting is also very good, so just when you think you have stopped the ball they can kick the ball out to the perimeter for an open three.
The Lakers were on the wrong end of the turnover battle in this game. The Bucks forced 19 turnovers. LeBron James led the way with four turnovers himself. Milwaukee was able to turn the Lakers’ 19 turnovers into 17 points off of turnovers.
In a potential rematch against the East’s best team, the Lakers offense will need to be smarter in their game plan. LeBron and company may be able to get away with careless passes against most other teams, but that will never be the case with the length that the Bucks possess.
Regardless of how careful the team is the Bucks are going to force some turnovers. However, the Lakers will need to make sure they limit the unforced turnovers, something that they have been guilty of in the past few games.
Things, like stepping out of bounds behind the 3-point line or dribbling the basketball off of someone’s foot, can not only swing the scoreboard in the opposition’s favor but it can also flip the momentum of the game.