The Lakers completed an uneven highway journey on a excessive notice with consecutive wins at New Orleans and Milwaukee, salvaging a 3-2 report on the journey after a 119-95 win over the Bucks on Saturday. The one factor that appeared to excite the gamers greater than the victory was what waited for them after the nine-day journey.
“Let’s go homeee,” ahead Jake LaRavia posted on his Instagram story.
Listed here are 5 takeaways after the five-game highway journey:
Lakers recapture their magic 
Laker Deandre Ayton fouls Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo on Saturday in Milwaukee.
(Morry Gash / Related Press)
Deandre Ayton took credit score for the postgame locker room’s Frank Sinatra soundtrack, however JJ Redick had Jay-Z on his thoughts. After wrapping up a grueling journey, considered one of Redick’s first ideas was Jay-Z’s observe “A Week Ago,” which begins with the lyric: “It was all good just a week ago.”
Per week in the past, the Lakers had been 7-2. They had been driving the excessive of a five-game profitable streak heading into follow in Atlanta.
Then issues turned bitter.
The Lakers (10-4) had been blown out in opposition to Atlanta and Oklahoma Metropolis on this journey. They performed about one good half of basketball of their first three video games. However throughout probably the most demanding a part of the stretch, the Lakers rallied to seek out themselves once more with crucial wins in opposition to the Pelicans and Bucks.
“This is the NBA,” Redick informed reporters. “And you gotta find moments to recapture what makes you a good basketball team. And I think over the last 24 hours we’ve done that.”
Redick credited Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves for persevering with to steer the workforce by means of uneven waters Saturday. Regardless of the workforce arriving in Milwaukee at 3 a.m. on Saturday morning and Doncic taking part in 40 minutes the night time earlier than in New Orleans, the famous person guard was nonetheless diving on the ground for a unfastened ball within the second quarter. He pushed the ball forward to Reaves, who discovered Ayton for a layup.
As Doncic turns into extra comfy together with his teammates, his management has proven by means of not solely his play however his sarcastic persona, which has helped develop a powerful bond.
“It’s great chemistry,” Doncic informed reporters. “When I came, I was probably a little more quiet, trying to get to know people. But right now, I’m just being myself, just joking around a lot, trash-talking. So I think one of the biggest things for the team to win is have a great chemistry, and I think we have that.”
Doncic’s MVP marketing campaign rolls alongside 
The Lakers’ Luka Doncic drives previous the Bucks’ Gary Harris on Saturday in Milwaukee.
(Morry Gash / Related Press)
With 41 factors, 9 rebounds and 6 assists in opposition to Milwaukee, Doncic collected his fourth 40-point video games this season, equaling his complete for such video games all of final yr.
He leads the league with 34.4 factors per recreation and formally grew to become eligible for the leaderboard after taking part in in his tenth recreation Saturday. His factors and eight.9 rebounds per recreation are near his manufacturing in 2023-24 when he led the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals and completed third in most useful participant voting with 33.9 factors and 9.2 rebounds per recreation. He’s doing it regardless of capturing a 32.7% from three-point vary, his worst mark since his second season.
Reinforcements are on the best way 
Lakers ahead Lebron James is predicted to return to the lineup quickly.
(Jae C. Hong / Related Press)
LeBron James is predicted to return to the follow court docket with the Lakers on Monday after a productive check stint with the South Bay Lakers. He may make his season debut as quickly as Tuesday in opposition to the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Area within the Lakers’ solely recreation this week.
James is the one customary contract participant nonetheless awaiting to make his debut after the Lakers bought forwards Maxi Kleber and Adou Thiero again on the court docket throughout the journey. Kleber, who was sidelined with an stomach pressure, has performed in three video games. He made his first shot of the season within the win over Milwaukee whereas taking part in 25 minutes with three factors and three assists.
The rookie Thiero additionally made his debut in opposition to the Bucks, scoring 4 factors and punctuating his first NBA look with an emphatic two-handed dunk within the ultimate minute. It confirmed the kind of athleticism and exercise the Lakers had been searching for once they drafted him within the second spherical. He additionally grabbed one offensive rebound throughout the first half that led to Kleber’s three-pointer.
Guard Gabe Vincent (ankle) continues to be out and is approaching three weeks since he turned his ankle in opposition to the Sacramento Kings. The unique timetable for his return was two to 4 weeks.
Capturing slumps 
Lakers guard Gabe Vincent throws a lob go to heart Deandre Ayton for an alley-oop dunk in opposition to the Kings on Oct. 26.
(Sara Nevis / Related Press)
Vincent’s eventual return may assist the Lakers with considered one of their most obvious offensive deficiencies: three-point capturing.
The Lakers rank twenty fifth in three-point capturing at simply 33.8%. Their 32.4 three-point makes an attempt per recreation rank twenty sixth within the league. It’s a far cry from the 40.4 threes they tried within the video games after Doncic joined the workforce final yr.
A part of the capturing stoop could possibly be Reaves’ early struggles from three-point vary. Outdoors of his six for 10 night time that led to a career-high 51 factors in opposition to Sacramento, Reaves, who missed three video games with a groin harm, was capturing 26.4% from three this season.
He then caught fireplace within the second half in opposition to the Bucks, making 5 threes. Whereas ending with 25 factors and eight assists, he made three consecutive three-pointers to open the fourth quarter that Doncic known as a few of the most essential photographs of the sport.
“It was good to get something to go down,” Reaves informed reporters. “… Hopefully we continue to shoot the ball well.”
Choose up the tempo 
The Bucks’ Bobby Portis and the Lakers’ Luka Doncic battle for a unfastened ball on Saturday in Milwaukee.
(Morry Gash / Related Press)
The Lakers are second-to-last in transition possessions per recreation and transition possession share. Redick was puzzled as to why the workforce performed so slowly when requested about its tempo earlier than the Charlotte recreation. He stated the tempo was “literally the first thing we emphasize in every film session.”
However on the second night time of a back-to-back, Redick acknowledged the workforce, contemplating its personnel, was merely not going to be a quick workforce. Nevertheless, he nonetheless recognized markers of success. Earlier than Saturday’s recreation, Redick informed the gamers the workforce was 9-1 when it scored 12 or extra transition factors and 8-0 with 24 or extra assists.
“I think there’s a formula here for throwing the ball ahead and sharing the basketball,” Redick stated. “And they were good again with that tonight.”
The Lakers had 12 quick break factors and 23 assists in opposition to the Bucks.
