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The Los Angeles Lakers are set for a tough battle against the Milwaukee Bucks, but the bigger storyline is whether they have enough firepower to compete. With injuries piling up, depth is becoming a serious concern, and facing a team led by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard only makes things tougher. The Lakers’ last matchup with the Bucks was a thriller, ending in a narrow 102-107 victory in October. Although, that was with a much healthier roster on both sides. This time, the circumstances are vastly different.
Jaxson Hayes has officially been ruled out due to a right knee contusion, an injury he sustained against the New York Knicks. His absence is a major setback for the Lakers’ frontcourt, particularly against the Bucks’ size. Furthermore, LeBron James and Luka Doncic are both dealing with injuries, making the Lakers’ offensive situation even more complicated. LeBron remains sidelined with a lingering groin issue, while Doncic is listed as questionable with right ankle soreness.
If Doncic is unable to go, the Lakers will struggle to generate offense, especially against a Milwaukee team that thrives on defensive pressure. Beyond those key names, the Lakers are also missing Rui Hachimura (knee), Maxi Kleber (foot), and Bronny James (G League assignment).
Lakers injury report vs Bucks pic.twitter.com/In0PMFMGGR
— Trevor Lane (@Trevor_Lane) March 12, 2025
As for the Bucks, with both Damian Lillard and Giannis listed as day-to-day, their lineup could look very different depending on their availability. Lillard’s absence would leave Milwaukee without its primary ball handler and playmaker, forcing others to step up in his role. Meanwhile, if Giannis sits out, the team loses its most dominant presence on both ends of the floor—potentially setting the stage for yet another tough night against the Lakers.
With that being said, here is a look at the starting lineuops of both the teams.
Depth chart for the Lakers-Bucks game
The starting lineup of the Lakers looks like this:
| PG | Luka Doncic DD | Gabe Vincent | Austin Reaves |
| SG | Austin Reaves | Dalton Knecht | Gabe Vincent |
| SF | Rui Hachimura O | Jordan Goodwin | LeBron James O |
| PF | LeBron James O | Jarred Vanderbilt | Dorian Finney-Smith |
| C | Jaxson Hayes O | Dorian Finney-Smith | Trey Jemison III |
On the other hand, the starting lineup for the Bucks looks like this:
| PG | Damian Lillard (DD) | Kevin Porter Jr. | Ryan Rollins |
| SG | Taurean Prince | AJ Green | Gary Trent Jr. |
| SF | Kyle Kuzma | Gary Trent Jr. | Andre Jackson Jr. |
| PF | Giannis Antetokounmpo (DD) | Kyle Kuzma | Taurean Prince |
| C | Brook Lopez | Jericho Sims | Giannis Antetokounmpo |
With Lakers dealing with injuries and lineup shifts, this matchup comes to depth and adaptability for them. They will need strong performances from their supporting cast to compensate for missing key players like LeBron. As for the Bucks, their success might depend on whether Giannis and Lillard take the floor. No matter how the lineups shake out, it won’t be unfair to expect an intense battle between two teams looking to gain momentum at this point in the season.
The post Is Jaxson Hayes Playing Tonight? Lakers Injury Report Critical vs Bucks appeared first on EssentiallySports.
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