Giannis Antetokounmpo

There is no safer bet in the NBA right now than the Los Angeles Lakers away from home.

Los Angeles improved to 8-0 on the road this season with a 113-106 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks in Thursday's potential NBA Finals preview at Fiserv Forum. LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope led the way for the victors, who bounced back from their Monday loss to the Golden State Warriors and improved to 12-4 on the campaign. 

Milwaukee has now lost two in a row and fell to 9-6 despite a double-double from Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Notable Player Stats

• LeBron James, F, LAL: 34 PTS, 8 AST, 6 REB
• Anthony Davis, F, LAL: 18 PTS, 9 REB, 6 AST, 2 BLK
• Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, G, LAL: 23 PTS, 3 REB, 7-of-10 3PT
• Giannis Antetokounmpo, F, MIL: 25 PTS, 12 REB, 3 AST, 9 TO
• Khris Middleton, G, MIL: 20 PTS, 7 AST, 5 REB
• Jrue Holiday, G, MIL: 22 PTS, 7 AST, 5 REB

LeBron Bounces Back in Big Way

It's not often James is under the microscope because he is coming off a poor performance, but that was the case Thursday.

That's because he was a mere 6-of-16 shooting with five turnovers in the aforementioned loss to the Warriors. He settled for contested jumpers, didn't attack the basket like he so often does and was not much of a factor down the stretch.

Even though Giannis swatted him in the first quarter, LeBron wasted no time showing some of that aggressiveness that was missing against the Warriors. He poured in 17 first-half points while barreling through the lane multiple times and either scoring at the rim or setting up his teammates.

James also caught fire from deep in the early going whenever Milwaukee backed off him and hit three triples in the first half while Caldwell-Pope and Davis provided support with hot shooting and post play, respectively.

Caldwell-Pope's runner to end the first half was a harbinger of things to come, and he drilled three triples in the third quarter while capitalizing on the space James and Davis created.

Anyone outside of Davis and James finding their rhythm for the Lakers is a nightmare for opponents, who are already spread thin trying to at least contain the pair of All-Stars. A hot stretch like the one Caldwell-Pope turned in Thursday can dictate the game, and it put the Lakers in position to close out the victory in the fourth quarter.

As if stopping that trio wasn't difficult enough, Montrezl Harrell provided a spark off the bench down the stretch and Alex Caruso hit arguably the biggest shot of the game with a corner three that pushed the lead to seven with less than two minutes left.

Fittingly, LeBron added the exclamation point with a deep three to cap off a dominant performance.

Turnovers, Strong Lakers Defense Thwart Bucks

Thursday's showdown was the classic something-has-to-give matchup.

Milwaukee entered play No. 1 in the league in offensive rating, while Los Angeles was No. 1 in defensive rating, per NBA.com. Whether the Lakers could cut off Antetokounmpo's driving lanes and close on the outside shooters surrounding him figured to determine the outcome.

It was a mixed bag out of the gate, as James' steal on Antetokounmpo was one of seven first-half turnovers from the Milwaukee star. 

However, the Bucks also scored 57 points in that opening half with Giannis and Jrue Holiday getting to the rim and Khris Middleton hitting multiple three-pointers and facilitating when the Lakers limited his outside looks.

To Antetokounmpo's credit, he cleaned up some of the turnover issues in the second half and kept the Bucks within striking distance alongside Holiday and Middleton. Still, the lack of offensive firepower from anywhere else was the biggest concern for the home team as it fell behind by double digits in the fourth quarter.

That was a credit to the Lakers' formidable defense and its ability to at least keep Giannis in check without allowing too much production from the supporting cast.

Brook Lopez tried to change that with a fourth-quarter flurry, and Middleton's layup cut the lead to two points heading into the final three minutes. Still, another late turnover from Antetokounmpo and two Milwaukee field goals in those last three minutes ended the Bucks' chance at a comeback.

What's Next? 

The Lakers travel to face the Chicago Bulls on Saturday, while the Bucks host the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday.

Two games in, and the James Harden-Kevin Durant reunion in Brooklyn is going swimmingly. 

The two former NBA MVPs combined for 138 points over their first pair of games as Nets teammates, including 64 in Monday's 125-123 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

"This is what they do—they wake up, they come to the game and they score 30," Giannis Antetokounmpo said of the duo, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic. "If you're not locked in against them, they're going to score 50."

Harden and Durant have mounted an offensive barrage since reuniting last week when Harden was granted his monthslong trade request as part of a four-team deal with the Houston Rockets, Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers.

After falling to score more than 21 points in his last five listless games with the Rockets, Harden has looked engaged since his arrival in Brooklyn, scoring at will despite still not being in his best condition.

The Nets could welcome back Kyrie Irving for Wednesday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, giving the NBA its first look at one of the most dynamic offensive trios in league history. Irving has missed Brooklyn's last two games because of conditioning and having had to pass the league's health and safety protocols after he sat out five games for personal reasons.

Kyrie Irving missed his seventh consecutive game Monday, but the Brooklyn Nets were able to handle the Milwaukee Bucks, 125-123, in what could very well be a preview of the Eastern Conference Finals matchup this postseason.

The Nets used a 37-point third quarter to create a little separation from the Bucks after entering the break with a one-point advantage at 57-56. After scoring just 11 points each in the first half, James Harden and Kevin Durant each scored in double digits in the third frame alone to propel the Nets to the win.

A last-minute three from Durant helped stop a Bucks comeback and seal the victory to improve the Nets to 9-6.

For the 9-5 Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo posted 34 points in the loss.

Notable Performers

• James Harden, SG, Nets: 34 PTS (13-25 FG, 3-10 3PT, 5-6 FT), 12 AST
• Kevin Durant, PF, Nets: 30 PTS (10-21 FG, 2-4 3PT, 8-9 FT), 9 REB, 6 AST
• Giannis Antetokounmpo, PF, Bucks: 34 PTS (13-26 FG, 2-6 3PT, 6-8 FT), 12 REB, 7 AST
• Jrue Holiday, PG, Bucks: 22 PTS (8-16 FG, 2-4 3PT, 4-4 FT), 6 AST, 4 REB

Nets' Depth Prevents Slow Start

With Irving in the midst of a seven-game absence for personal reasons, opponents of the Brooklyn Nets have had to counter just one superstar in Durant. That all changed Saturday when Harden made his Nets debut, dropping 32 points with 14 assists and 12 rebounds alongside Durant's 42 points.

The Bucks didn't have to handle Irving on Monday, but they got a taste of the new-look Nets just the same.

In the first half, they managed to limit Durant to just four-of-12 shooting from the field and kept both stars to just 11 points, but Joe Harris and Jeff Green also tallied 11 points each to prevent Brooklyn from falling behind.

The Nets didn't have to depend on their secondary scoring for much longer. In the third quarter alone, Durant posted 11 points and Harden added 10 to give the Nets a five-point lead after three.

Green and Harris slowed a bit in the second half, with their point production limited after the break, but their early contributions were crucial to keeping the Nets competitive early. The pair were unstoppable beyond the arc, combining to hit nine of 12 three-point attempts on the night.

Even DeAndre Jordan got in on the fun after a four-point first half. He notched his first double-double of the season by scoring 12 points and adding 12 rebounds.

Bucks Suffer on Shot Selection, Lack of Support

The Bucks entered Monday riding a four-game winning streak, but just one of those wins was definite leading into the final buzzer. Of the four wins, three of them were by 10 points or less. The face of the franchise, MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, is also quietly struggling, hitting a career-worst 58.6 percent at the line while he's averaging 27.2 points per game.

His struggles were evident Friday against the Dallas Mavericks, when the Bucks eeked out a three-point win but Antetokounmpo missed nine of 10 free throws while racking up 31 points.

He was much more consistent Monday, as he compiled 16 points, five rebounds and four assists in the first half to lead all scorers.

Antetokounmpo had a supporting act in Jrue Holiday, who tallied 22 points with six assists, while Khris Middleton collected 25 points with four steals, four rebounds and four assists. But even combined with 15 points from center Brook Lopez, the Bucks couldn't keep up compared to the Nets.

In Brooklyn, all five starters scored in double digits, and DeAndre Jordan's 12 points was a low from the starting five, while Donte DiVincenzo rounded out the Bucks' rotation with just eight points.

But while the Bucks had high scoring from a select few and forced 17 turnovers on the Nets, they shot just 43.8 percent from the field and were no match for Brooklyn's depth and ability to perform at the last minute.

There's no doubt that Holiday has been one of the most productive members of the Bucks this season, but the Bucks dealt away a significant portion of their power in order to land him, shipping Eric Bledsoe (14.9 points per game in 2019-20) to New Orleans and George Hill (9.4 points per game in 2019-20) to Oklahoma City in the four-team blockbuster.

While Holiday provides an instant boost to the lineup, it's worth considering if keeping the pair of Bledsoe and Hill around would have provided enough power at the top while ensuring consistency on the bench in order to allow the Bucks to break through against a team of superstars like the Nets.

What's Next?

The Nets hit the road for a back-to-back with the Cleveland Cavaliers—they'll play Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET and then again Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET.

The Bucks are headed home to host the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET.

The Milwaukee Bucks took down a depleted Dallas Mavericks team 112-109 at Fiserv Forum on Friday as two-time reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo went off for 31 points.

The visitors were forced to play without Jalen Brunson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Maxi Kleber, Dwight Powell and Josh Richardson and started Wes Iwundu, Willie Cauley-Stein and Tim Hardaway Jr. alongside Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis instead. 

It was the second game back for Porzingis after making his season debut Wednesday against the Charlotte Hornets, which saw him tally 16 points and four rebounds despite tweaking his ankle. 

The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for Dallas (6-5) and gave the Bucks (9-4) their fourth consecutive victory.

Notable Performers

Luka Doncic, PG, Dallas Mavericks: 28 points, 13 assists, 9 rebounds

Kristaps Porzingis, F, Dallas Mavericks: 15 points, 10 rebounds, 6-for-19 FG

Giannis Antetokounmpo, PF, Milwaukee Bucks: 31 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 5 turnovers

Khris Middleton, SF, Milwaukee Bucks: 25 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists 

Giannis' Weakness Nearly Costs Bucks 

It's not often there's an obvious gripe against a two-time MVP, but the do-it-all forward just can't seem to build confidence from the free-throw line. 

On Friday, he went just 1-for-10 from the line despite shooting 14-for-21 from the field overall. In a game decided by one possession, leaving nine points at the stripe is akin to a sin for Milwaukee, especially since Antetokounmpo's struggles led to more passive play from the MVP down the stretch. 

Instead of driving to score and drawing fouls, Antetokounmpo began settling for jumpers late, each miss opening the door a bit wider for a Dallas comeback. After trailing since the score read 10-9 in the first quarter, the Mavs jumped ahead 105-103 with 2:41 left in regulation. 

That could have been the moment when Antetokounmpo amped up his aggressiveness and began overpowering a short-handed Dallas team in the paint. With Cauley-Stein, Doncic and James Johnson in foul trouble, it seemed like an obvious play. 

Instead, the Bucks turned to Khris Middleton to restore the lead. The wing sank back-to-back threes to retake the lead, and Milwaukee escaped. 

Antetokounmpo entered Friday shooting just 61.8 percent on free throws. Considering he hasn't been above 75 percent since the 2017-18 season, this isn't surprising, but it is a new low. Antetokounmpo has never finished a season shooting below 63.3 percent from the line. 

The Bucks were lucky it didn't cost them a win Friday. It may only be a matter of time before that's no longer the case. 

Porzingis' Slow Start Continues

With a truncated preseason and copious COVID-19 policies in place, it was always going to be tough for Porzingis to return to form this year. 

The 25-year-old missed the first nine games of the Mavericks' regular season, and the rust he's accumulated since hasn't been hard to spot. That isn't to say Porzingis was awful Friday, though his game left plenty to be desired, but the margin for error is more noticeable than ever—especially in arenas where players are constantly spread out. 

Against the Bucks, Porzingis' flaws were exposed while he struggled to find his rhythm. It's not hard to imagine this could have been a Mavs blowout with even an average shooting performance from the seven-footer. Instead, he opened up two for 14 from the field, missing all four of his shots in the paint during the first quarter.

Jacking up a deep three-pointer with eight seconds left down by two may have been his worst decision. Already not shooting well, Porzingis' would-be game-winner clanked off the backboard without getting close to the rim.

Milwaukee would walk away with the win sealed after that miss.

The big man just couldn't help but telegraph his moves, and the Bucks were all too eager to read them. That's how Milwaukee's Brook Lopez was able to easily sky for a block on a strong drive down the lane or how Antetokounmpo was able to spin off him in the post for a simple layup. 

It may take a few more games for Porzingis to return to being the difference-maker who averaged 20.4 points and 9.5 assists last year.

How long that process takes—and how long of a leash head coach Rick Carlisle will give Porzingis—will say plenty about the Mavs' season. 

What's Next

The Mavericks return home to face the Chicago Bulls at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday before heading back out on a three-game road trip Monday. The Bucks, meanwhile, head to Brooklyn for a Monday night showdown against James Harden and the new-look Nets at 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT.       

Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo praised the Brooklyn Nets' acquisition of guard James Harden on Wednesday night. 

While speaking to reporters, Giannis said it was an "amazing move" by the Nets, and they got "way better" by bringing in the 2017-18 NBA MVP (beginning at the 5:55 mark):

The trade involved the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers in addition to the Bucks and Houston Rockets, and it featured a ton of moving pieces.

Houston acquired the Nets' first-round picks in 2022, 2024 and 2026, as well as pick swaps in 2021, 2023, 2025 and 2027. The Rockets also picked up guard Dante Exum and a 2022 first-round pick from the Cavs via the Bucks, guard Victor Oladipo from the Pacers and forward Rodion Kurucs from the Nets.

The Pacers came away with guard Caris LeVert from the Nets and Houston's 2023 second-round pick, while Cleveland landed center Jarrett Allen and forward Taurean Prince from the Nets.

While they have yet to reach the NBA Finals, Giannis and the Bucks have been the class of the Eastern Conference during the regular season over the past two campaigns, posting the best record in the conference each year.

So far this season, the Bucks are 8-4 and in a virtual tie for first in the East with the 7-3 Boston Celtics and 8-4 Philadelphia 76ers.

It can be argued that the Bucks are the team to beat in the Eastern Conference, and the Nets may have taken a big step toward doing so by adding another All-Star to the mix alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

While it remains to be seen how that trio will work together, there may be no more accomplished and talented triumvirate in the NBA.

Harden is a one-time NBA MVP and the three-time reigning NBA scoring champ, KD is a one-time NBA MVP, four-time scoring champ and two-time NBA Finals MVP and Irving is a six-time All-Star and one-time NBA champion.

There is also some familiarity present, as Durant and Harden were teammates with the Oklahoma City Thunder for three seasons from 2009-10 through 2011-12.

Harden was primarily a bench player in those days, but he and KD meshed so well that they helped lead OKC to the NBA Finals in 2012 where the Thunder fell to LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and the Miami Heat.

The Nets are off to a 7-6 start this season even with both Durant and Irving missing a handful of games, which suggests their potential as a team is through the roof with Harden coming aboard.

Losing a quartet of key role players in LeVert, Allen, Kurucs and Prince shouldn't be dismissed as meaningless since they were all playing important roles this season, but the Nets still have the likes of Joe Harris, DeAndre Jordan, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Co. to lend support to the "Big 3."

Provided Durant, Irving and Harden all remain largely healthy and mesh well, there is little doubt that they will be major threat to Giannis and the Bucks atop the Eastern Conference this season and beyond.

Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer confirmed superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss Saturday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

The Bucks listed back spasms as the source of Antetokounmpo's absence.

"He's very sore, very stiff," Budenholzer told reporters. "We are hopeful it's a short-term thing."

Antetokounmpo is assembling a strong foundation for a Hall of Fame resume. He's won two straight MVP Awards in addition to the 2020 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award and earned four consecutive All-Star selections, along with numerous other individual accolades.

The 26-year-old Greece native has mostly been durable during his rise to stardom. He's never missed more than 10 games in a regular season since the Bucks selected him 15th overall in 2013, with any missed time caused by minor ailments.

That said, his most recent setback was an ankle injury suffered during the 2020 playoffs that played a role in Milwaukee's elimination at the hands of the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

The Bucks are likely to use a committee to fill the void any time the Greek Freak misses time throughout the 2020-21 campaign.

Milwaukee doesn't feature enough star power outside Antetokounmpo to become a serious title contender without him. Making sure he's healthy for the postseason is the most important factor, even if that means a lesser workload in the regular season and fewer wins.

Jacob Blake Sr. urged the Milwaukee Bucks to play their game as scheduled on Wednesday night against the Detroit Pistons.

Per Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, the Bucks discussed various options, including "demonstrating during the anthem to not playing the game" in the wake of the decision not to charge Kenosha County police officer Rusten Sheskey in the shooting of Jacob Blake Jr. in August. 

Owczarski noted Giannis Antetokounmpo said the team received a message from Blake Sr. "that the family wanted them to play and to use their platform, which the league’s Most Valuable Player said helped push them to think of a different method of demonstration."

After the opening tipoff, players and coaches for both teams took a knee for seven seconds to protest the decision from Kenosha County prosecutors. 

The idea to do something during the game was suggested by head coach Mike Budenholzer because "the national anthem is not always shown on television, and no independent media or fans are allowed into Fiserv Forum to help document it."

Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley announced Tuesday that Sheskey wouldn't be charged for shooting Blake seven times on Aug. 23. 

Antetokounmpo added the Bucks informed the Pistons of what they were planning to do before the game started. 

The shooting has left Blake paralyzed from the waist down. His uncle, Justin Blake, told the Associated Press in October that his nephew was being treated at a rehabilitation clinic in Illinois. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo knows people wanted the 2020-21 season to be filled with drama for the Milwaukee Bucks as he headed toward unrestricted free agency.

However, the two-time reigning MVP said he hoped to quell the spotlight on his teammates by signing a five-year supermax extension last month. 

"I didn't want the pressure. Not me, personally; I can deal with pressure," Antetokounmpo told ESPN's Cassidy Hubbarth (begins at the four-minute mark). "I didn't want the pressure on my teammates and my coaching staff. Going out there and losing a game, and people are talking about 'Oh, he's leaving. Oh, he's staying. Oh, they didn't play well. Oh, he's out of there.' That's adding more pressure to what we're trying to accomplish here.

"The goal is to win a championship. So going through a year of pressure is almost throwing out the year while I'm entering my prime. I'm not throwing out a year."

Antetokounmpo's free agency was set to be one of the most anticipated in recent memory, with teams lining themselves up to have cap space for the summer of 2021 in pursuit. Had he departed, Antetokounmpo would have joined LeBron James and Kevin Durant as former MVPs who recently jettisoned small-market life in pursuit of a championship.

The Bucks went all-in in their attempt to sway Antetokounmpo's decision during the offseason, trading three first-round picks and rights to swap two future picks in 2024 and 2026 (along with George Hill and Eric Bledsoe) to New Orleans for Jrue Holiday. The move was roundly criticized as being an overpay for a non-All-Star but showed the pressure Milwaukee was under to improve the team around Giannis.

The fact that Antetokounmpo re-signed after Holiday's signing wound up justifying the opportunity cost, but the pressure won't be stopping anytime soon unless the Bucks wind up hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy.