The Milwaukee Bucks held an 86-77 lead over the Los Angeles Lakers after three quarters Friday night at Crypto.com Arena when the teams met during Milwaukee’s four-game road trip along the West Coast.
Milwaukee maintained control despite a strong third quarter from Luka Dončić, who scored 12 points in the period.
Four Bucks players reached double figures as the visitors maintained their lead heading into the fourth.
The Bucks led by as many as 11 points late in the second quarter and went into halftime with a 61-52 lead.
Milwaukee’s bench units, combined with one or two starters, provided early momentum in the quarter, as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Porter Jr. each scored 12 points before halftime. Porter left late in the half with an apparent injury.
Los Angeles briefly took control earlier in the game, closing the first quarter on a 7-1 run to lead 25-24.
Antetokounmpo scored four points in the opening frame, while LeBron James and Dončić combined for 11 points. Milwaukee struggled, shooting 3-for-12 from three-point range in the first quarter.
The Bucks entered the game looking to bounce back from a loss to Golden State on January 7 and improve on their 16-21 record.
The Lakers, who were ranked fifth in the Western Conference at 23-12, were led by James for three quarters.
Antetokounmpo played under a minutes restriction but remained productive, while James and Dončić were both available despite injury concerns prior to the match.
