The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a lopsided 118-89 defeat to the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night, and head coach JJ Redick did not hold back in his postgame assessment.
Redick criticized his team’s defensive execution against Giannis Antetokounmpo, pointing to repeated breakdowns despite prior adjustments.
“For some reason, maybe it’s not having full strength and playing guys that haven’t been with us all year, but for some reason we haven’t been able to execute that against Giannis,” Redick said.
The Lakers were severely short-handed, missing LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura, along with key reserves Dorian Finney-Smith and Jarred Vanderbilt.
Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 28 points, while Gary Trent Jr. added 23 off the bench, helping the Bucks maintain their hold on the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.
Despite the blowout, Bronny James had a career night, scoring a personal-best 17 points in just his 22nd NBA appearance.
Los Angeles (43-26) struggled offensively, shooting 41.5% from the field and committing 19 turnovers, allowing Milwaukee to control the game from start to finish.
The Bucks capitalized on the Lakers’ depleted roster, using a 20-5 run to close the first quarter and never relinquishing their lead.
Trent Jr. proved to be a difference-maker, hitting six of his 10 three-point attempts while the rest of Milwaukee shot just 5-for-25 from beyond the arc.
Dalton Knecht also finished with 17 points for Los Angeles, but he and Gabe Vincent combined to shoot just 8-for-26 from the field.
Redick singled out a rare positive moment when Cam Reddish forced a jump ball against Antetokounmpo, but he made it clear the Lakers’ defensive breakdowns were unacceptable.
“No matter how many times we talk about it, show it, it just hasn’t been there,” Redick said. “Their technique has just been God-awful.”
Milwaukee has now won two straight after previously dropping five of seven, while the Lakers saw their nine-game home winning streak snapped.
Los Angeles will aim to regroup as they await the return of their top players, hoping to stay competitive in the Western Conference playoff race.
