Milwaukee Bucks Game Preview: March 30 at Los Angeles Lakers
By Adam McGee
Major key for Milwaukee – Survive the pace
Make no mistake, the timing of this particular matchup is far from ideal. The Lakers are the NBA’s leader when it comes to pace, and playing them on the second night of a back-to-back, five games into a West coast road trip doesn’t exactly sound like a recipe for success.
Add into the mix the Warriors’ fourth quarter rally on Thursday which required the Bucks to up their intensity again late, and the heavy minutes played and injuries sustained in-play by both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, and you’re not going to start feeling any more optimistic.
Although the Bucks have a roster that could be well-suited to playing at a more up-tempo pace, they are one of the league’s more plodding, deliberate teams.
While Milwaukee averages 98.22 possessions per game (22nd in the NBA), the Lakers come in at a league best mark of 102.93.
That could create opportunities for the Bucks if they’re able to play with the energy required to force the Lakers into turnovers, but it remains a potentially decisive question mark heading into the game.