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LeBron James and the Lakers are under immense pressure to make the playoffs ever since the season commenced post the All-Star break. Experts around the league are analyzing each and every game involving the King, with the looming possibility of him missing the playoffs for the first time since 2004.
In this battle against the best team of the NBA, the Lakers gave in to the Bucks' late comeback, eventually falling 131-120 before the final buzzer. This was LA's 7th loss in the previous ten games they have played, as they now find themselves 3.5 games clear of the eighth-seeded Spurs in the quest to make the playoffs.
LeBron and co. are now 30-32 (0.484) on the season after their most recent defeat.
On the other hand, the Milwaukee Bucks are soaring at an exponential pace, currently hosting a league-best 48-14(0.774) win-loss record next to their name. The King approved of Milwaukee's depth in a post-game interview:
"Everybody talks about Giannis (Antetokounmpo)," LeBron James said, "but it's the supporting cast. They've surrounded Giannis with a great cast."
With their eighth consecutive victory, the Bucks are now 23-9 on the road having lost just five games at home this season so far.
On that note, let's draw out some major talking points from this matchup.
#1 Eric Bledsoe showed why he deserves the $70M/4-year contract extension
Ever since being traded from the Phoenix Suns back in November 2017, the 29-year-old has been an integral part of the Giannis-led offence in Milwaukee. Now that the franchise is set for imminent greatness, the front-office thought it'd be best to show their long-term commitment towards their marquee point guard.
Eric Bledsoe paid back exactly how the organization would have wanted him to - by winning them a game. He scored a team-high total of 31 points on 50% shooting and played a huge part in the run that got them within striking distance of the Lakers.
Moreover, he chipped in with 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 1 block, all this while committing just one turnover.
"We've got a talented young team, we're growing together," said Bledsoe, "We compete for something bigger than ourselves. I just wanted to be part of it."
#2 The Lakers offence/defence broke down in the last few minutes and gave it all away
The Lakers led for a good three quarters and did a great job of restricting Antetokounmpo (he finished with 16 points). But the final period proved to be a whole different story - as is always the case with the Lakers.
"We had our chances," James said. "We broke down individually down the stretch defensively."
The game saw six ties over the final seven minutes. However, after the Lakers had a 118-all on the scoreboard, Milwaukee went on a 15-2 run to spoil it all for the LA fans.
"For some reason we kind of fell apart at the end," Lakers coach Luke Walton said. "One thing we did a poor job of was defending Bledsoe and Brogdon. We couldn't keep them in front of us."
Los Angeles committed three costly turnovers in the final five minutes, as the Bucks outscored them 38-26 in the final quarter for an impressive come-from-behind win.
#3 Contrasting implications for Lakers and Bucks following the result
With the Milwaukee Bucks' 10th straight win on the road, they became the first NBA team to clinch a playoff berth this year. They are now 2.5 games clear of the second seed Raptors and look stronger than ever since the mid-season trade wrapped up.
On the other hand, LeBron James and the Lakers are struggling to even make it to the postseason in the first place. With only 20 games left in the regular season, this just might be the year when the fans would learn how it is to experience the playoffs without The King.
"We're aware of it. We don't try to harp on it too much." - Walton on being more than 3 games removed from the playoff picture.
One team is leading the pack in the East while the other is struggling to book a playoff ticket, only to beaten by the Warriors in the first round itself.
