Bucks Seek To Extend Streak Against LeBron-less Lakers

March 26, (THEWILL) – The Milwaukee Bucks will look to stretch their home winning streak to seven games when they host the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.

However, the visitors will be without LeBron James, who has been ruled out with a left ankle injury. This will be the 10th game James has missed this season, including both previous matchups against Milwaukee.

The clash presents an opportunity for the Bucks to avenge a narrow 123-122 defeat in Los Angeles earlier this month. Since that loss, Milwaukee have won five of seven games to improve to 46-25 on the season, good for second in the Eastern Conference standings. They showed their depth in a 118-93 home win over Oklahoma City on Sunday, with Khris Middleton recording his first triple-double since 2018.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has starred with 30 points against the Thunder, combining with a resurgent Middleton to power the Bucks’ offence. “This is the team we want to be, having all our guys out there. We want to play the right way and play together,” said Middleton, who has averaged 18.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 7.7 assists since returning from injury.

For the Lakers, the absence of James casts a shadow over the start of a daunting six-game road trip, with five games against Eastern Conference opponents. They had a confidence-boosting 150-point outburst against Indiana on Sunday, behind huge games from Anthony Davis and new signing Spencer Dinwiddie.

In ninth place in the West, Los Angeles is battling for a play-in spot, three games back of sixth place. “We need him to play like that the rest of the season,” Davis said of Dinwiddie’s impact, adding: “We are going to need him to be the Spencer he was.”