Here is what you need to know before the Lakers’ second leg of their back-to-back against the Milwaukee Bucks.
1) Kobe Bryant is on the cusp of a couple more milestones in his 20-year career. The 18-time All-Star needs just one rebound for 7,000 in his career. He is also just one 3-pointer behind Rashard Lewis (1,787) for the 11th-most in NBA history.
2) Head coach Byron Scott announced on Sunday that D’Angelo Russell will be the team’s starting point guard for the rest of the season. The teenager hasn’t been in the opening lineup since Dec. 12, but increased his scoring and field goal percentage in his 30 games off the bench.
3) This game serves as a bit of a homecoming for Lakers assistant coach Paul Pressey, who spent three seasons playing for Milwaukee from 1982-90. He earned All-Defensive honors three times as a Buck, and — as talented 6-foot-5 ball handler — was considered the league’s first point forward.
4) Milwaukee makes the NBA’s second-fewest 3-pointers (5.5), instead opting to run the majority of its offense from inside the arc. The Bucks score a league-high 49.5 points in the paint and the second-most points off cuts to the hoop (14.5).
5) The Bucks also rely on pick-and-rolls far less than the average NBA team. In such situations, they get a league-low 5.1 points per game out of their roll men and the second-fewest points from their ball handlers (9.1).
6) The Bucks have lost 118 games due to injuries this year, causing them to use 14 different starting lineups. Currently, Milwaukee is without Jerryd Bayless (sprained knee) — who is fifth in the NBA in 3-point percentage (43.6) — and John Henson (sore back) — who is fifth in blocks (1.98).
7) Milwaukee does have its leading scorer, Khris Middleton, who is averaging 17.8 points. He has been one of the league’s top workhorses, logging the fifth-most minutes (36.4) of any player.
8) Jabari Parker is coming off his best game as a pro, having hit career-highs in points (28) and rebounds (13) in Saturday’s win over Atlanta. A teammate of Russell and Jordan Clarkson’s at the Rising Stars Challenge, Parker has increased his scoring average every month from 9.7 in October/November to 14.6 in February.
9) Though he is coming off the bench now, Greg Monroe has arguably been Milwaukee’s top player. He ranks ninth in the NBA in double-doubles (28) and comes through when needed most, shooting 6-of-10 on attempts to take the lead or tie in the games final two minutes — which is the league’s third-best mark.
10) Milwaukee’s coach, Jason Kidd, is one of the most decorated players in league history. The 10-time All-Star is second all-time in both assists (12,091) and steals (2,684). He also won gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics alongside Bryant.
