Anthony Davis and the LA Lakers took on Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday. The Lakers, 0-2 in the preseason, hoped to enter the win column on the road. Davis, who had an impressive game in the Lakers’ 118-114 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Sunday, looked to help his team win.
AD missed a handful of close-range shots in the first half. He had four points in the first quarter and anchored the Lakers’ defense. Davis’ block on Antetokounmpo with 8:40 in the first period momentarily silenced the pro-Bucks crowd.
Davis continued to look for his shots in the second quarter. He ended the first 20 minutes of the game with six points on 3-for-10 shooting, including 0-for-2 from deep. The All-Star big man added six rebounds, two blocks, one steal and an assist.
New Lakers coach JJ Redick limited AD in the third quarter, taking him out by the halfway point of the period. LA trailed 65-68 when Redick sent in D’Angelo Russell to relieve Davis.
Anthony Davis stats vs Milwaukee Bucks:
| Player | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG | 3-PT FG | FT | +/- |
| Anthony Davis | 11 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5-14 | 0-4 | 1-2 | -1 |
JJ Redick told reporters during the LA Lakers’ media day that his team would be embracing the 3-pointer more. Redick has given Anthony Davis the green light to shoot from deep as part of the strategy.
In Davis’ 25 minutes against the Milwaukee Bucks, he shot four 3-pointers but missed all of them. Two of those attempts were from at least 27 feet. The big man has been cleared to launch a few feet from behind the arc when he is comfortable taking the shot.
Davis is now 2-for-8 from deep in two preseason games. For the entire 2023-24 campaign, he attempted 107 from long range in 76 games. Redick wants Davis not to shy away from such shots to keep defenses honest.
