Milwaukee’s Kyle Kuzma geared up for a matchup against his former team by turning in his best outing of the young season.
Kuzma will look to build on his standout performance when the Bucks host the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night. Milwaukee is aiming to win back-to-back games for the first time this month.
The Bucks avenged a Wednesday loss to Charlotte with a 147-134 overtime victory over the Hornets on Friday. Kuzma had 29 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and four steals to lead the Bucks.
After the game, Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers explained why he inserted the 6-foot-8 Kuzma into the starting lineup for the first time since Oct. 30.
“I just felt we needed the size defensively,” Rivers said. “I love Kuz with that group because when Giannis (Antetokounmpo) gets trapped, Kuz is the cutter now, and we leave Miles (Bridges) out where the (opponent’s center) is uncomfortable. That really paid dividends in the fourth quarter.”
Kuzma spent the first four seasons of his career with the Lakers, who bounced back from a blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday with a 118-104 win over the host New Orleans Pelicans on Friday.
Austin Reaves scored 31 in the victory, while Luka Doncic had 24 points and 12 assists. Deandre Ayton contributed 20 points and 16 rebounds for the Lakers, who shot 52% from the field with 28 assists.
“Proud of our group,” Los Angeles coach JJ Redick said. “Much better defensive game for us. The 28 assists were huge. We were able to get a lot of good looks. There’s a lot to be pleased with.”
The Lakers will be without LeBron James against Milwaukee, but the four-time MVP could return to the lineup as soon as Tuesday at home vs. the Utah Jazz.
When James makes his season debut after sitting out because of sciatica, the 40-year-old will look to fit in quickly with a team that is off to an encouraging 9-4 start.
“This group loves to play basketball,” Ayton said. “We’re building this thing where it’s called togetherness and feeding into each other’s energy and holding everybody accountable. We’re not trying to repeat that Thunder game. It was a little wakeup call to get back to our old habits.
“A performance like that (on Friday), I want to see us piggyback off that — especially with our defense — to see if we’re really back on track before we get back home.”
Los Angeles lost both meetings last season against Milwaukee, which has received a spark from 23-year-old guard Ryan Rollins. He is averaging 17.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists in his second full season with the Bucks.
“He’s just tough,” Rivers said. “He’s just courageous. … He’s been great.”
The Bucks boast a 5-2 record at home this season, while the Lakers are 6-2 on the road.
