Lakers at Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks power forward Jabari Parker has been lost for the season with a torn ACL in his left knee and the Bucks attempt to move forward when they host the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. Parker is expected to be sidelined for approximately 12 months after suffering the second major knee injury of his three-year career.
Parker tore the ACL in the same knee 25 games into his rookie season and he was driving toward the hoop during the third quarter of Wednesday's 106-88 loss to the Miami Heat when the knee buckled. Parker fell to the ground in obvious pain and was helped off the floor in a sequence that left everyone concerned. "It's always tough anytime you have a serious injury," coach Jason Kidd told reporters after the ACL injury was announced. "For anybody, whether you're an athlete or a normal person, just to go through the same injury again is extremely tough. The positive is he's young, he understands he's going through it so he kind of knows what he has to do." The Bucks have dropped 11 of their past 13 games and the Lakers are also struggling with 11 defeats in the past 14 games after Wednesday's 121-102 setback against the Detroit Pistons.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, Spectrum SportsNet (Los Angeles), FSN Milwaukee
ABOUT THE LAKERS (18-37): Los Angeles allowed 70 points in the paint and committed 21 turnovers in the loss against Detroit while sabotaging its chances of success. "It's been something that we've struggled with all year long," Lakers coach Luke Walton told reporters of the turnovers. "A big part of the scouting report was protecting the paint, making them shoot 3s, knowing they're not a big 3-point shooting team. They scored 70 points in the paint -- we didn't set out to do what we wanted." Point guard D'Angelo Russell tallied just six points in the past two games, including two against the Pistons.
ABOUT THE BUCKS (22-29): Milwaukee is two games behind the eighth-place Pistons in the Eastern Conference despite its prolonged slump and the season-ending loss of Parker rates as a major blow. Parker displayed this season that he was fully back from the devastating injury of 25-plus months ago by averaging 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists this season. All-Star small forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Parker have taken turns carrying the squad and more pressure will be placed on Antetokounmpo with Parker lost for the campaign.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Antetokounmpo averaged 21 points, nine rebounds and 7.5 assists as the Bucks split two games with the Lakers last season.
2. Los Angeles rookie F Brandon Ingram is averaging 14.3 points over the past three games.
3. Milwaukee SG Khris Middleton (hamstring) made his season debut on Wednesday and scored five points in 15 minutes.