Bucks beat Lakers 115-101, Antetokounmpo, James sit out

Billed as a battle of All-Star captains, the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers instead took the court Tuesday night without their respective franchise players.

Missing Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is nursing an injured ankle, the Bucks repeatedly thwarted rallies by the Lakers, who didn't have the services of LeBron James due to a sore groin, before finally putting away Los Angeles 115-101.

"We didn't play well with the lead. That's frustrating on a lot of different levels," Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer said.

Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks looks on in the second quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Fiserv Forum Milwaukee, Wisconsin, March 19, 2019. /VCG Photo

Khris Middleton scored 30 points and had 10 rebounds, Brook Lopez tied a season-high with 28 points, and Nikola Mirotic chipped in with 23 for Milwaukee, which improved to an NBA-best 53-18.

Budenholzer credited Lopez's all-around game for leading the Bucks to victory.

“I thought he was phenomenal,” Budenholzer said. “Some of his shots were just very timely, then he's finishing in the paint, he's driving it, getting to the free throw line. He did a lot of things offensively.”

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had a season-high 35 points for the Lakers, three off his career best.

“He's a very skilled shooter. It's a lot of fun when he is having a game like that,” Lakers coach Luke Walton said.

 Rajon Rondo #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers attempts a shot while being guarded by Eric Bledsoe #6 of the Milwaukee Bucks in the fourth quarter at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, March 19, 2019. /VCG Photo

Kyle Kuzma added 17 points for Los Angeles, which has lost four consecutive games and nine of 10.

Antetokounmpo, a front-runner for the league MVP award, poured in a career-high 52 points in a 130-125 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday but sprained his right ankle in that game after colliding with Joel Embiid on a drive to the basket late in the third quarter. He remained in the game, but continued soreness forced him to sit against the Lakers.

James, who had 33 points in a loss to the Knicks on Sunday, didn't play due to a sore left groin, the same injury that caused him to miss a career-high 17 consecutive games earlier this season.

The Bucks led by 11 after the first quarter, but the Lakers worked their back in the second, eventually tying it at 56 before falling behind 61-58 at the half. Caldwell-Pope had 23 first-half points, helped by 5-for-8 shooting from 3-point range.

Milwaukee seemed to gain control in the third quarter, building a 23-point lead at one point. The Bucks led 99-84 heading to the fourth.

The Lakers clawed back, however, and cut the lead to five midway through the fourth quarter. But the Bucks again pushed the lead to double digits.

“I thought our guys gave everything they had tonight,” Walton said.