Milwaukee Bucks forward MarJon Beauchamp, right, shoots as Los Angeles Lakers forward Christian Wood defends during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, left, shoots as Los Angeles Lakers forward Christian Wood defends during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, right, shoots as Los Angeles Lakers forward Christian Wood defends during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo dunks during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes, left, blocks the shot of Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, left, tries to keep control of the ball as he falls along with Los Angeles Lakers forward Christian Wood during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Milwaukee Bucks forward MarJon Beauchamp jumps to keep a ball inbounds as referee Derek Richardson watches during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, left, tries to drive past Los Angeles Lakers forward Christian Wood during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez, right, smiles at Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell after Russell made a difficult shot during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Lakers forward Christian Wood, right, shoots as Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez, center, defends and forward Giannis Antetokounmpo watches during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura, right, shoots as Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo defends during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis, left, shoots as Milwaukee Bucks forward Jae Crowder defends during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis, left, shoots as Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez defends during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Lakers forward Cam Reddish, right, shoots as Milwaukee Bucks center Robin Lopez defends during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James, left, and forward Anthony Davis sit on the bench during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game against the Milwaukee Bucks Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham, left, talks with guard D’Angelo Russell during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game against the Milwaukee Bucks Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez, left, and Los Angeles Lakers forward Christian Wood reach for a loose ball during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, left, shoots as Los Angeles Lakers forward Christian Wood defends during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, right, tries to get by Los Angeles Lakers forward Taurean Prince during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
LOS ANGELES — The Lakers were once again without at least two starters – and a few other players – for an exhibition Wednesday, falling to the Milwaukee Bucks 108-97 at Crypto.com Arena.
LeBron James and Austin Reaves sat for the third time during preseason as part of their ramp-up plans for the regular season.
They’ll likely play in Thursday’s preseason finale against the Phoenix Suns at Acrisure Arena in Thousand Palms, giving the Lakers a “test run” ahead of the regular-season opener against the Denver Nuggets on Oct. 24.
Anthony Davis (16 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two blocks and two steals in 19 minutes) and D’Angelo Russell (11 points in 19 minutes) were the two known starters who played but were limited to first-half minutes.
Taurean Prince, a candidate for the fifth starting spot, was in the starting unit for the third time during preseason, scoring eight points (2-of-5 shooting on 3-pointers) in 15 first-half minutes.
Cam Reddish returned to the court after missing three consecutive games because of right ankle soreness. He finished with 10 points (4-of-11 shooting, 2 of 5 on 3s) and five rebounds in 21 minutes.
“Cam looked great,” Ham said. “He’s out there gassed a little bit, which is to be expected. But he’s another high-level, skilled player. Can shoot it, can guard. Really competes on the defensive side of the ball. Able to handle, get downhill, finish. It was good to see him out there giving contributions. Look forward to seeing more of him.”
Max Christie (10 points and four rebounds) also scored in double figures.
Jarred Vanderbilt (left heel soreness), Gabe Vincent (lower back soreness)) and Jalen Hood-Schifino (right knee contusion) also missed Sunday’s game.
Vincent sitting in the last two games has been designated as precautionary. Ham said Hood-Schifino bumped knees during Friday’s home loss to the Golden State Warriors and the team wants to “evaluate it some more and make sure we know what we’re dealing with.”
The absence was the fourth consecutive missed game for Vanderbilt, who’ll be reevaluated on Friday and is expected to miss Thursday’s game against the Suns.
It’s unknown whether he’ll be available for the regular-season opener.
“We’ll see,” Ham responded when asked whether Vanderbilt will be available against the Nuggets. “Once he gets reevaluated on Friday, we’ll go from there.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, the seven-time All-Star guard the Bucks acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers on Sept. 27, made their preseason debuts against the Lakers.
Antetokounmpo had 16 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in 15 first-half minutes. Lillard finished with 14 points, three assists and three steals in 22 minutes.
“It’s a hell of a combo, hell of a one-two punch,” Ham said. “Just Dame with the ball, Giannis as a screener. Or even Dame as a screener and Giannis with the ball. It’s not going to be any fun for anybody. Best of luck to everybody else, the other 28 teams, aside from ourselves that have to figure out a way to try to stop that. I’m just happy we only see them twice in the regular season.”
After playing every other day for over a week, the Lakers will have three days in between games to close out their exhibition slate.
The matchup against the Suns should give clarity to what their rotation will look like to start the season.
“We got a few days in between now and then as we build up toward it,” Ham said. “Obviously, it’ll be a little bit of a test run for us to see what our normal rotation looks like – looks like that being the last preseason game of the preseason. For three quarters, we’ll see what we look like. And again, in between time, try to get better at different things.”
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