After starting the 2025-26 season off with a 2-2 record, the Lakers rattled off five-straight wins before starting their five-game road trip. Hoping to use that momentum, they fell flat on their feet against the Atlanta Hawks, losing 122-102 to a Hawks team without their two best players in Trae Young and Jalen Johnson.

While a win over the Charlotte Hornets got them back to even on the road trip, they'd once again suffer a blowout loss with the Oklahoma City Thunder defeating them 121-92, holding them without a 20-point scorer for the first time this season. A talented team, the Lakers bounced back on Friday night with a win over the New Orleans Pelicans, but they aren't looking to stop there.

Real Sports (@realapp) on X Austin Reaves now has the 7th most 30-point games by a guard in Lakers history.

Following the win, Lakers star Austin Reaves was asked about what's ahead for the Lakers, revealing that his focus remains on the task in front of them: a Saturday night contest against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.

"We can still leave this five-game road trip at a winning record if we go get one tomorrow night in Milwaukee," Reaves said after Friday's win over the Pelicans. "We know it will be tough; Giannis is playing MVP-level, and the supporting cast around him is playing really well as well. After the dud we threw out in Oklahoma City, we need to bounce back with a win."

Lakers vs Bucks Game Preview

Saturday night will see both the Lakers and Bucks coming off back-to-backs, with the Lakers beating the Pelicans and the Bucks prevailing over the Charlotte Hornets in overtime. While both sides have flashed strong supporting casts, the reality is that the attention on this matchup circles two of the games biggest stars in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic.

Unfortunately for Lakers fans, Giannis has had Luka's numbers in their 10 career contests, winning eight of them, and has a five-game winning streak over him. While Luka holds averages of 31.4 points, 10.5 assists, and 8.6 rebounds, it doesn't hold much value if he can't walk away with the win.

NBA (@NBA) on X Luka: 33.7 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 9.2 APG 🔥 Giannis: 32.6 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 7.3 APG 🔥 Two ALL-WORLD SUPERSTARS collide as Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks host Luka Dončić and the Lakers in Milwaukee! Action tips off at 8:00pm/et on NBA TV 🍿

Even though Ryan Rollins and Kyle Kuzma, as of late, have been good for the Bucks, Reaves is the clear third-best player in this matchup, and could be the X-Factor in determining who walks away as winners.

While the Lakers are the road team in this contest, they'll look to take advantage of a Bucks team coming off an overtime game on Friday. Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m. EST, with Reaves and the Lakers looking to end their road trip off with a signature win.