Bucks at Lakers
The Milwaukee Bucks look to continue their recent dominance over the Los Angeles Lakers by winning their fifth straight in the series on Friday. The Bucks have won 10 of their last 13 and are coming off a 104-88 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers to move within a half-game of overtaking the Washington Wizards as the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee has won four of its last five against Western Conference opponents, including a 113-105 overtime triumph over the Lakers on Feb. 4.
Los Angeles looks to string together three consecutive wins for just the second time this season. The Lakers followed up their emotional 118-111 overtime victory over the Boston Celtics by rallying from a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to down the Utah Jazz 100-97 on Wednesday. The Lakers have dropped seven of their last nine at home and have won only eight games at the Staples Center as they set their sights on beating the Bucks for the first time since Jan. 15, 2013.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), TWC SportsNet (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE BUCKS (32-25): John Henson scored a season-high 21 points to go along with nine rebounds and Khris Middleton added 19 in the win over Philadelphia. Michael Carter-Williams recorded seven points and eight assists in 17 minutes in his Milwaukee debut after missing three games with a toe injury since joining his new team. "I knew my minutes were going to be limited and it was perfect for me," Carter-Williams told reporters. "It was more relief getting the first game out of the way."
ABOUT THE LAKERS (15-41): Rookie Jordan Clarkson scored a career-high 22 points, including a vicious slam over Dante Exum, in the win over the Jazz. "Jordan did a great job of knocking down shots and did a much better job of running the offense and getting guys involved," Los Angeles coach Byron Scott told reporters. "He did a great job of taking the shots that were given to him." Jordan Hill added 16 points and Wayne Ellington tallied 15 points and 10 rebounds for his first career double-double.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Bucks have won six of the last seven meetings.
2. Milwaukee has committed 59 turnovers in its last three outings.
3. Los Angeles' bench has outscored its counterparts in 28 of its last 31 games.