Bucks Primed For Ninth-Straight Win Against Retooled-But-Undermanned Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers will be back in action on Thursday, Febraury 9 when they host the surging Milwaukee Bucks at the Crypto.com Arena.

However, foiling the visitors will be easier said than done.

The Lakers have parted ways with Russell Westbrook, sending the 2017 NBA MVP to the Utah Jazz in a three-way trade involving the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Although Purple and Gold got three players in that NBA trade (D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt), the three additions have been listed as out for the match against the Bucks.

Hence, the fate of the Lakers will continue to depend on LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

They are coming off a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, 130-133, a game that was highlighted by James breaking the all-time scoring record of Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

James finished with 38 points for the night along with seven rebounds and three assists.

Westbrook chipped in 27 points, eight assists, and four rebounds in what would turn out to be his farewell performance for the franchise.

"I never talked about being the all-time scorer in NBA history... Until my numbers started getting closer and closer, and I was like, 'Oh wow, this is crazy. This is weird, but I guess I'm doing it,'" James stated in his post-match interview.

But the reality of it all is that the Lakers still lost the game, their third-straight defeat.

Unless they find a way to contain Giannis Antetokounmpo, a fourth consecutive setback looms over the horizon.

The Bucks are on an eight-game winning roll and that run is most likely to continue.

Their last victory was over the Portland Trail Blazers, 127-108.

Brook Lopez led the Bucks in that win with 27 points and nine rebounds, while Antetokounmpo hauled 24 markers and Jrue Holiday had 20 points.

"I still have a long way to go, a long time to play. I'm just enjoying it and I want to keep getting better, keep being an effective player out there, being the best player I could be," Lopez said after the win over the Blazers.

The Bucks are running second in the Eastern Conference with a 37-17 win-loss record.

A win would draw them close to the conference-leading Boston Celtics, who are at 39-16.

A victory is equally important for the Lakers who are at 25-30, 13th in the league.

Taming the Bucks would allow the Lakers to draw closer to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are at 26-28.

The Bucks are -3.5 spread favorites to prevail over the Lakers, whereas the moneyline set for this matchup is -175 for Milwaukee and +148 for Los Angeles.

The game will have a live telecast over TNT at 10:00 PM ET, and it can also be watched via the NBA League Pass.