Los Angeles – The Milwaukee Bucks will continue their nine-day, four-game West Coast road trip on January 9 when they take on the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena.
On January 7, the Bucks suffered a disappointing loss at the Golden State Warriors, which once again prevented the team from starting a winning streak. Milwaukee (16-21) now looks to get back in the winning column against a Los Angeles team that currently sits in fifth place in the Western Conference with a 23-12 record.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) drives between Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma (18) and forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) during the first half of a game Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, at Feather Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Is Giannis playing?
Yes. Since recovering from a strained soleus muscle in his right calf on December 27, Antetokounmpo’s playing time has been limited, and his playing time has been limited to about 30-31 minutes in the past two games. However, that didn’t stop him from averaging over 30 points per game, which tied him with Wilt Chamberlain for one of the highest-scoring seasons in league history (by minutes played).
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Is LeBron James playing?
It’s possible. The league’s all-time leading scorer began the day ruled out with arthritis in his left foot and sciatica in his right side, but was upgraded to possible by late afternoon. This will be the second time this season that the Bucks will be without James, who sat out with sciatica when the Lakers beat the Bucks 119-95 at Feather Forum on Nov. 15.
Is Luka playing?
Yes, MVP candidate Luka Doncic is already available to play. He led the league in free throws made and attempted, which helped him become the league’s scoring leader with 33.7 points per game. Doncic averaged 8.8 assists and 8.0 assists per game, but his three-point shooting percentage was only 31.6%.
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What time does the Bucks game start?
Notification time is set for 9:30 p.m. Central Time.
Which channel does the Bucks game air on?
The game will be televised locally on the FanDuel Sports Network in Wisconsin, with Lisa Byington, Max Johnson and Stephen Watson participating in the conference call.
Giannis, Luka lead NBA All-Star voting
The second round of fan voting for the NBA All-Star Game was released the week of January 5, with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic firmly leading the East and West respectively.
Doncic (2,229,811 votes) continues to lead all NBA players in fan voting, followed by Giannis Antetokounmpo (2,092,284 votes).
The Bucks star has been the top vote-getter among fans the past two seasons.
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Fans represent 50% of the vote to determine five players from each conference to become starters in the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, with current NBA players and the media panel each accounting for 25%. This year, All-Stars will be selected regardless of ranking.
Voting is over. The starting lineup will be released on January 19th at 10:59 pm Central Time on January 14th. The All-Star Game will be held on February 15th.
Although voting is still taking place in a conference format, players will not represent East or West. This season’s format will include two teams of American players and one team of international players. Twenty-four players will be selected, 12 from each league, but commissioner Adam Silver can fill out the roster to ensure there are 16 American players and eight international players.
Through the second round of voting, 9 international players ranked among the top 24 fans’ votes.
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Bucks vs. Lakers part of first Apple Immersive game
Spectrum SportsNet and Apple have partnered to create alternative broadcasts for those wearing the Apple Vision Pro head-mounted computer. The device uses a 3D rack and camera pass-through to provide users with augmented reality and will broadcast Bucks-Lakers games as an Apple immersive experience.
This is the first time users will be able to watch a match this way.
For Wisconsin Bucks fans, Apple Vision Pro users with a free NBA ID can watch full game replays and highlights in the NBA app as early as 24 hours after the game ends. All Spectrum Internet and TV subscribers outside the Lakers broadcast area can also watch full game replays and highlights through the Spectrum SportsNet app.
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The Lakers will play five more games, which can be watched through Apple Immersive Experiences.
Milwaukee Bucks injury report
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Prince Taurus, out (neck surgery)
Bucks likely starting lineup
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guard: Ryan Rollins, Kevin Porter Jr., AJ Green
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forward: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Bucks vs. Lakers odds
Los Angeles leads Milwaukee by 3.5 points, with BetMGM’s over/under set at 230.5.
This article originally appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Will stars show up in L.A.? The latest on Giannis, LeBron and Luka
