Giannis Antetokounmpo, Eric Bledsoe Lead Bucks to Win over LeBron James, Lakers

Eric Bledsoe had a season-high 31 points and nine rebounds, and Giannis Antetokounmpo added 16 points and 15 rebounds, leading the Milwaukee Bucks to a 131-120 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Milwaukee closed the game on a 15-2 run over the last 2:25.

LeBron James contributed 31 points, 10 assists and seven boards for the 30-32 Lakers, who have lost seven of their last 10.

Brandon Ingram also scored 31 on 13-of-21 shooting. He started the game by making his first nine field goals.

The 48-14 Bucks have won seven straight and 19 of their last 21. With the win, Milwaukee became the first team to clinch a playoff berth this season.

New, Improved Ingram Can Push Lakers to Playoffs

There’s no such thing as a second-half All-Star, but if there were, Ingram would have an early case for a spot on the team.

Entering Friday, the 21-year-old forward had averaged 27.8 points on 56.7 percent shooting, 7.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists in his four post-All-Star break games. He also made 54.5 percent of his three-pointers.

Ingram posted 12.2 points per game on 43.8 percent shooting over the first two years of his career, which are respectable numbers but unspectacular.

However, the 6’9″ forward has been excellent of late, bringing up the question as to where the improvement has originated.

The first one is obvious: He’s a young and tremendously talented player who has found another gear. Ingram was just 18 years old when the Lakers drafted him second overall in 2016. Like any player, Ingram has to develop his game as he gains experience.

Second, Ingram’s scoring has improved since he came back from a sprained left ankle that sidelined him for seven contests, as Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report noted:

Ingram has averaged 19.7 points per game and shot 50.5 percent from the field since returning Dec. 21 compared to 15.2 points on 47.0 percent shooting beforehand.

Head coach Luke Walton pointed out a third reason after Ingram scored 23 points in a win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday:

“He’s [scoring] more consistently,” Walton said per Christian Rivas of SB Nation’s Silver Screen and Roll. “I think he’s done a nice job of cleaning up some of the shots that we don’t prefer that he takes, some of the isolation, mid-range pull-ups without moving it. He had a couple of them tonight, but for the most part, I think he’s continued to grow as a player.”

ESPN color commentator Doris Burke mentioned in the third quarter of the television broadcast that Ingram could get a shot any time he wanted. The third-year pro proved that Friday evening. He was able to effortlessly get off a few mid-range rhythm jumpers in addition to some buckets at the rim and a few threes.

The fourth reason comes from Ingram himself after the aforementioned Pels game, via Rivas:

“The closer I get to the rim, I think my percentages go up, so I’m just trying to find a way to the rim, find a way to be aggressive and either draw a foul or get over the top,” Ingram said. “If I draw a foul, I’m confident to know I can knock the free throws down.”

Ingram is right about his percentages. According to Basketball-Reference, the ex-Duke Blue Devil shot 68.2 percent from the field at the rim entering Friday. He’s making 39.6 percent of his shots elsewhere.

All of those reasons converged at a pivotal moment, when Ingram put Bucks center Brook Lopez on a poster:

The Lakers may be 3.5 games behind the San Antonio Spurs for the eighth and final playoff spot, and their playoff chances look bleak.

However, ESPN play-by-play announcer Ryan Ruocco made a good point on the television broadcast: The team simply does better when James and Ingram are on the court.

It just hasn’t happened often, which has played a large part in the Lakers’ slide outside of the playoff picture.

Ingram returned to the court right before James had to sit for an extended period because of a groin strain. And James was on the court when Ingram was out.

Those two haven’t played together much, but when they have, the Lakers have been 19-14.

That’s not a dominant mark, but if Ingram and James had been on the court together all year, we’d probably be talking about the Lakers’ push for home-court advantage in the first round.

Hanging with the Bucks, who were at full strength and sport the league’s best record, is an impressive feat. The Lakers can take their performance—coupled with Ingram’s development and continued on-court development alongside James—and know that they have a shot.

What’s Next?

Both teams play on the road Saturday. The Bucks will face the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena, and the Lakers will visit the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena.