Lakers at Bucks
The streaking Milwaukee Bucks look to register their fifth consecutive victory when they host the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. Milwaukee has been performing well despite a depleted roster and Monday’s 82-75 win over the Toronto Raptors was accomplished without point guard Brandon Knight (quadriceps), who hopes to play against Los Angeles. The Lakers have lost 10 of their last 11 games as they enter the second contest of a four-game road trip.
Los Angeles opened its excursion with a lethargic performance on Sunday when it fell 92-80 to the equally woeful New York Knicks. The Lakers will be without power forward Jordan Hill (hip), who was injured against the Knicks and flew back to Los Angeles for examination and treatment. Milwaukee is a season-best four games above .500 and the game with the Lakers begins a stretch in which the Bucks are home for six of seven games.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, TWC SportsNet (Los Angeles), FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
ABOUT THE LAKERS (13-35): Veteran Carlos Boozer will have a bigger role with Hill sidelined and Los Angeles hopes to see the player who had 19 points and 10 rebounds against the Knicks for his eighth double-double of the campaign. Boozer’s production has been inconsistent all season but he does enter this contest with four double-figure scoring outings in a five-game span. Prior to this stretch, he went five consecutive contests without reaching double digits.
ABOUT THE BUCKS (26-22): Guard Khris Middleton has been performing well and continued his torrid shooting by scoring a season-best 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting against the Raptors. Middleton is 44-of-72 from the field over the past six games and has shot better than 58 percent in five of the six contests. Guard Jared Dudley is also in the midst of a solid shooting stretch, reaching double digits in six of seven games and making 36-of-59 shots during the stretch.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Milwaukee has won the last three meetings.
2. Los Angeles rookie PG Jordan Clarkson is averaging 18.3 points and 1.7 steals over the past three games.
3. The Bucks are 17-0 when holding opponents under 90 points.