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

A defeat against a very depleted Lakers squad on Thursday could have major ramifications for Milwaukee's playoff aspirations.

Mar 13, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA: Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) takes a shot against Los Angeles Lakers center Christian Koloko (10) in the third quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images / Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Bucks have been blessed with some major injury luck heading into a critical Thursday night match against the 43-25 Los Angeles Lakers, on L.A.'s home turf.

Per Jovan Buha of The Athletic, a whopping four Lakers starters have already been ruled out for the contest: 21-time All-Star power forward LeBron James (left groin strain), five-time All-NBA First Team guard Luka Doncic (right ankle sprain), perennial Most Improved Player candidate Austin Reaves (another right ankle sprain), and starting small forward Rui Hachimura (left patellar tendinopathy).

Reserve power forward/center Maxi Kleber also remains out as he continues to recover from a January right foot surgery. He has yet to make his Lakers debut. Key defensive forwards Dorian Finney-Smith and Jarred Vanderbilt are both considered doubtful to play.

Available Lakers tonight vs. MIL (not including doubtful players):

Jaxson Hayes
Gabe Vincent
Dalton Knecht
Jordan Goodwin (two-way)
Trey Jemison III (two-way)
Christian Koloko (two-way)
Shake Milton
Markieff Morris
Bronny James
Alex Len
Cam Reddish https://t.co/Yg5qKfB0V0

— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) March 20, 2025

Thus, among L.A.'s top nine players (assuming Finney-Smith and Vanderbilt do sit), only three — starting center Jaxson Hayes, reserve point guard Gabe Vincent, rookie wing Dalton Knecht — are available.

Read More: Bucks Will Face Lakers Without Stars Luka Doncic, LeBron James

Milwaukee, meanwhile, will be without at least backup big man Bobby Portis, who is still in the midst of a 25-game suspension. Nine-time All-Star point guard Damian Lillard is considered questionable to play through a sore right soleus.

Two-time MVP power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (sore right groin) and reserve guard Gary Trent Jr. (left patella tendinopathy) are considered probable to play.

The Bucks have downgraded Damian Lillard (Right Soleus Soreness) to questionable for tonight’s game, per the team. https://t.co/o3uy0RLz9Y

— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) March 20, 2025

This game is fairly critical for Milwaukee, which currently finds itself in the midst of a major push for homecourt advantage in the Eastern Conference.

At 38-30, five games behind the 43-25 New York Knicks, the East's third seed. With just 14 games left on their schedule, the Bucks have virtually no shot at catching up with Karl-Anthony Towns and co. But Milwaukee can absolutely still secure the East's No. 4 seed, currently occupied by the 39-29 Indiana Pacers, who ousted the Bucks in a six-game 3-6 first-round playoff series upset last spring.

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Milwaukee could also, however, easily tumble to the East's No. 6 seed. The 39-31 Detroit Pistons are mere percentage points behind the Bucks as of this writing. A loss to this depleted Lakers squad on Thursday would drop the Bucks to the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference.

While the Bucks seem likely to steer clear of falling into the play-in tournament bracket (the No. 7-seeded Atlanta Hawks are 33-36, while the No. 8-seeded Orlando Magic are 32-38), it would still be ideal for the team to avoid falling to the fifth or sixth seed.

Homecourt advantage typically gives teams a huge edge in playoff matchups. Although it didn't help the Bucks much last year, their loss could also be attributed to a lack of Giannis Antetokounmpo for the entire series and a dearth of Damian Lillard for two games. The Bucks could use all the help they could get.

On track for a 46-win season, Milwaukee doesn't seem likely to win four playoff rounds and claim its second championship during its Antetokounmpo era, but it would behoove the team's relationship with Antetokounmpo to at the very least win a playoff series for the first time in three years. The No. 4 seed feels like the key to unlocking that.

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