LOS ANGELES — Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo helped seal Milwaukee’s 105-101 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night with two game-clinching defensive plays against LeBron James.
With 39.2 seconds left and tied at 101, Antetokounmpo blocked James from behind as the Lakers star attempted the go-ahead layup, clearing the way for the Bucks to take the lead after Kevin Porter Jr. was fouled on the opposite side.
Then, as James drove to the basket with the Lakers trailing by two, Antetokounmpo created another turnover, releasing the ball for a steal with 1.5 seconds remaining to protect the lead en route to a victory.
“At the end of the day, I just wanted the challenge,” Antetokounmpo said. “I wanted to stay in front of him as best I could. Because you knew he was going to make a play. He wasn’t going to pass it. And that worked in my favor.”
The Bucks have won five of their last seven games since Antetokounmpo returned from injury on Dec. 27 and six of their last nine games overall. Antetokounmpo had a modest scoring night by his superstar standards, recording 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting, but he said he was just trying to impact the game in any way he could.
“We’re playing well, right? So we can’t get comfortable,” Antetokounmpo said. “We can’t get complacent right now. We have to keep pushing, push our limits, put our foot down and keep moving forward.”
It was the Lakers’ first loss this season; they entered Friday 13-0 in such games, the best record in the NBA.
It was also the first time Antetokounmpo and James played a regular season game since 2022.
In his locker after the game, Antetokounmpo had a purple No. 23 jersey signed by James. Giannis’ brother Thanasis had a signed Bronny James jersey.
Antetokounmpo collects jerseys from his contemporaries in the league and said he asked James on the court after the final buzzer for this latest addition to his collection.
“You never know,” Antetokounmpo said. “This might be our last game against each other.”
He added: “It means a lot to me. I think he is a role model for every athlete, not just the basketball player. Being able to be consistent for 23 years. Available. Being a winner, leading by example. It’s amazing. And any opportunity I have to be close to greatness and compete against greatness, I will always take it. I never take it for granted.
“I have the utmost respect for him and his family and the way he handled himself for 23 years. And like I said, I miss playing against him. I think he brings out the best in me as a player and he’s one of the guys I definitely look up to on and off the field.”
James said: “At this point in my career, it’s always great to go against some of the greats. If it’s Giannis, if it’s Steph, KD, James, Russ. Guys I’ve played against for a long time or played with.”
