Drummond Leaves Debut With Bruised Toe, Bucks Beat LA 112-97
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Andre Drummond left his Lakers debut with a bruised right toe, and Jrue Holiday scored 28 points in the Milwaukee Bucks' 112-97 victory over Los Angeles on Wednesday night.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 25 points and 10 rebounds, and Khris Middleton added 17 points and eight assists as the Bucks snapped their three-game losing streak with a workmanlike victory over the depleted defending NBA champions, who are still without LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Drummond scored four points in 14 minutes before limping off the court early in the third quarter. X-rays were negative on Los Angeles' new center, but the bruise adds another injury problem to the Lakers' list ahead of a tough schedule in April.
James missed his sixth straight game for the Lakers with a sprained right ankle, and Davis missed his 20th consecutive game with a right calf injury. Montrezl Harrell scored 19 points and Dennis Schröder added 17 points for the Lakers' supporting cast, whose two-game winning streak ended.
Drummond started for the Lakers in his first NBA game in 6 1/2 weeks, but he wasn't on the floor to start the second half while apparently getting treatment on his toe. He checked in and made it through just a few more possessions before taking himself out of the game in clear pain.
The Lakers signed Drummond last weekend after 8 1/2 NBA seasons in Detroit and Cleveland. The center was playing in his first game since Feb. 12 because the Cavaliers shut him down to give playing time to younger contributors.
The four-time NBA rebounding champ is expected to play significant minutes for Los Angeles at the expense of Marc Gasol, who didn't play until the fourth quarter against Milwaukee.
TIP-INS
Bucks: Bobby Portis missed his fourth straight game under the NBA's health and safety protocols. ... PJ Tucker missed his fourth straight game with a strained left calf. ... Donte DiVincenzo was called for a flagrant foul on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the third quarter.
Lakers: Kyle Kuzma scored 16 points, but went 1 for 9 on 3-pointers. ... They hit eight of their first 12 3-pointers, a solid effort by a team ranked 23rd in 3-point shooting percentage. They then missed 22 of their final 24.
UP NEXT
Bucks: At Portland on Friday.
Lakers: At Sacramento on Friday.
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