Lakers open six-game trip with double-overtime win over the Bucks

Dan Woike March 26, 2024

The key, coach Darvin Ham said

before the game

,

pregame,

would be for the Lakers to move on after mistakes, to not let the errors pile up, to employ what he, and every NBA coach calls, a next-play mentality.

Opening a six-game

road

trip Tuesday in Milwaukee, forget about the next play. The Lakers, even before the game, looked like a team focused on the next day.

Their biggest star, LeBron James, didnt play after he experienced soreness in his bothersome left ankle after the Lakers win on Sunday. And with another game at

, this one against

Memphis

,

awaiting

the Lakersthem

Wednesday night, strategic rest seemed like a factor

,

too.

But, the next play kept coming. And the Lakers, eventually started to make some

shots

.

They bounced backThe Lakers came back

from a disaster start and from

being

down 19

points

in the fourth quarter to extend the game the next plays stretching longer into the Wisconsin night.

More than three hours and two overtimes after the game tipped, Austin Reaves hit the shot of the night an open three

-pointer

to push the Lakers ahead and eventually steal a 128-124 win in double overtime.

Reaves, who had a

potential

game-winner drop in and out at the end of regulation, finished with

his second career triple-double, scoring of

29

points

,

grabbing

14 rebounds and

dishing

10 assists. Anthony Davis, limping throughout the second half, finished with 34 points and 23 rebounds, Rui Hachimura (16

points

and 14 rebounds) and DAngelo Russell (29

points

and 12 assists) both had double-doubles.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 29

points

, 21 rebounds and 11 assists, but he missed two crucial free throws in the second overtime to allow the Lakers to seal it at the line. Davis swished a pair, finishing off a 30-for-32 game for the Lakers from the line.

Two free throws

byfrom

Taurean Prince tied the

scoregame

at 101-101 the first tie since 0-0 but a Russell turnover on

a

potentially

the

game-winning possession set the stage for the Bucks. Milwaukee couldnt convert, though, and Reaves got a clean look at the buzzer from deep, but it rattled in and

then

out.

Two

free

Free

throws

byfrom

Russell with three seconds left in

the first overtime

set up a game-saving block at the buzzer

byfrom

Davis on Damian Lillard

‘s shot

.