Bucks' Doc Rivers, Giannis Antetokounmpo React to Bronny James Career-High Performance

The superstar player and coach were impressed with what the rookie was about to do.

Mar 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) looks to pass against Milwaukee Bucks guard Ryan Rollins (13) during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images / Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Bucks played a critical game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night. They need to accumulate as many wins as possible because they are in a three-way fight for the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference.

They were able to get the win, beating Los Angeles 118-89 in a game that both teams wanted to win. Milwaukee is now just a game back from the Indiana Pacers for that coveted fourth seed.

The Bucks also are a half-game ahead of the Detroit Pistons for the fifth spot in the East. It was a win that really helps their cause with about three weeks left until the playoffs.

Read more: Bucks Loss to Lakers Could Have Drastic Impact on Eastern Conference Standings

Other than the Bucks getting a much-needed win, there was another story that came out of this game, and it was on the Los Angeles side.

Bronny James had the best game of his NBA career. He led the team in scoring, pouring in 17 points on 7-10 shooting. He also added five assists and three rebounds, too.

James also played 30 minutes in the game, which is by far the most time he's gotten. His shooting performance was incredibly encouraging for the Lakers moving forward.

Doc Rivers and Giannis Antetokounmpo both made sure they let James know how impressed they were with his performance.

Giannis and Doc congratulate Bronny on career-high 👏🍿 pic.twitter.com/ELy91S8z8n

— House of Highlights (@HoHighlights) March 21, 2025

Both Rivers and Antetokounmpo respect James and the work he has put in during his rookie season. James is clearly working as hard as he can to become a reliable NBA player.

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The Bucks were certainly impressed with what they saw from the rookie off the bench. They are more happy with the fact that they got the win so they could keep pace with the Pacers.

Milwaukee will continue to try to get their team as healthy as possible before the playoffs start. They have to be healthier than they were entering last year's playoffs.

While playing for Los Angeles, James is averaging 2.3 points, 0.6 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game. He's shooting 35.4 percent from the field and 26.9 percent from beyond the 3-point line.

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