LeBron James, Giannis' Epic Duel Hyped by NBA Fans After Bucks' Win vs. Lakers
In the first head-to-head meeting between since December 2022, Giannis Antetokounmpo got the best of LeBron James in the Milwaukee Bucks' 105-101 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.
James turned in one of his best games of the season, finishing one rebound short of a triple-double. He had 26 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds in 33 minutes.
Antetokounmpo didn't have his best statistical game with 21 points, six rebounds and five assists in 31 minutes, but his biggest contributions came on two late-game possessions when he recorded a block and steal against James to preserve the win.
The first play occurred with around 40 seconds remaining in a tie game when Antetokounmpo blocked James' driving layup attempt. The second came in the final seconds with the Bucks holding a 103-101 lead and he poked the ball out from behind when James was trying to get around him.
Even though the Bucks came out ahead in this game, the duel between Antetokounmpo and James was celebrated by fans.
It says a lot about how good both James and Antetokounmpo were that Luka Dončić almost felt like an afterthought in this game. Dončić made his presence felt with 24 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, but the story was the two other superstars on the floor.
The Bucks were able to hold on for a much-needed win when it looked like they might blow this game. They led by 11 with less than one minute remaining in the third quarter, but the Lakers came back and went up by four with five minutes left in the fourth.
Milwaukee's defense held the Lakers scoreless for the final 82 seconds of the game after Jake LaRavia's game-tying three.
The Bucks have now won five of seven games since Antetokounmpo returned from a calf strain. Their overall record is just 17-21, but they have climbed to within one game back in the loss column of the Chicago Bulls for the final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference.
Los Angeles has lost back-to-back games following a three game winning streak. The Lakers sit in fifth place in the West at 23-13 going into Monday's game against the Sacramento Kings.
Milwaukee will wrap up its four game Western Conference road trip on Sunday against the Denver Nuggets.
