MILWAUKEE — For most of the season, the Lakers have fared well offensively when star forward LeBron James hasn’t been available.
That wasn’t the case for most of Tuesday night’s 128-124 double-overtime victory over the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum.
But when they needed it most, the Lakers got the biggest shot of the night to fall, with Austin Reaves making a 3-pointer with 39 seconds left to give his team a 124-121 lead and the separation needed to start this six-game trip with a victory.
Reaves – who had a 29-point, 14-rebound, 10-assist triple-double in 47 minutes – also grabbed the defensive rebound after Giannis Antetokounmpo (who also had a triple-double) missed a pair of free throws with 24.2 seconds left. D’Angelo Russell (29 points, 12 assists in 50 minutes) made a pair of free throws to give the Lakers a 126-121 lead with 15 seconds left.
With the Bucks intentionally fouling after a Malik Beasley 3-pointer, Anthony Davis (34 points, 23 rebounds and four blocked shots in 52 minutes) sealed the victory with a pair of free throws with 1.7 seconds left.
The Lakers (40-32) spent most of the evening trying to battle back from their early offensive struggles, scoring just 16 first-quarter and 42 first-half points, leading to a 16-point deficit at halftime and an 88-74 deficit at the end of the third quarter that turned into a 94-75 Bucks advantage with more than eight minutes left in the fourth.
But the Lakers kept battling from there.
After getting fouled on a drive to the basket, Taurean Prince made a pair of free throws to tie the score at 101-all with 43.9 seconds left in regulation.
Reaves got the defensive stop against Khris Middleton on the Bucks’ ensuing possession, giving the Lakers the chance to take their first lead of the game in the closing seconds. But Malik Beasley blocked Russell on the Lakers’ next possession. The Lakers were originally awarded possession, but Milwaukee won the challenge, getting the ball back with 13.2 seconds left.
The Bucks tried to lob an alley-oop to Antetokounmpo off an out-of-bounds play with 2.5 seconds left, but the Lakers got the stop. Reaves missed a wide-open 3-point attempt at the end of regulation to send the game into overtime.
Spencer Dinwiddie, who struggled with his shot most of Tuesday, hit a pull-up 3-pointer for his first basket, giving the Lakers a 111-108 advantage with 2:19 left in overtime – their first lead of the night.
A couple of possessions later, Antetokounmpo back-tapped an offensive rebound to Beasley, who made a 3-pointer to tie the score again at 111-all.
Davis blocked a Lillard floater at the end of the first overtime to send the game into double-OT tied at 117.
Neither team scored in the first three minutes of the second overtime, showing the wear and tear of an exhausting game with sloppy offense from both teams.
Lillard and Reaves exchanged layups for each team’s first baskets of the second overtime, with the score again tied at 121-all with 1:17 left after Dinwiddie made a pair of free throws.
Rui Hachimura added 16 points and 14 rebounds for the Lakers.
Antetokounmpo finished with 29 points, a season-high 21 rebounds and 11 assists. Lillard had 27 points and Beasley added 21 for the Bucks.
James wasn’t available because of the left ankle peroneal tendinopathy that he’s dealt with for the past few months for his 10th absence this season.
Tuesday was the first game of a back-to-back set, with the Lakers facing the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night in Tennessee.
TNT sideline reporter Chris Haynes reported that James texted him with an explanation of how he’s managing the injury.
“I have to be very strategic and smart of how I manage the rest of the season with my ankle/foot in order to get to the finish line,” Haynes relayed on the broadcast. “Whatever line that lies ahead.”
