Milwaukee Bucks vs. LA Lakers preview, start time, TV schedule and injury report

We're starting to settle into basketball prep as the Milwaukee Bucks will play their second game against the Los Angeles Lakers and the Fiserv Forum crowd may see plenty of stars in action.

Where we are

Pre-season is an exciting time of year. A team like Milwaukee is almost a known quantity. Giannis Antetokounmpo is great, Damian Lillard is a top scorer, Brook Lopez will be the anchor of the defense and Bobby Portis will be the focal point of the bench. Above all, they hope for promise and potential from the younger players or new development from a vet. The Bucks had their first preseason game against the Detroit Pistons and the final score doesn't tell the whole story. At the start of the game, Damian Lillard looked like the lady of old and scored goals effortlessly. The Bucks led after the first quarter and trailed by just two at halftime. But when the substitutes dropped out in the second half, things started to look up for the Bucks. Without Giannis and Khris Middleton and the limited minutes of other big-name players, there's not much to be gained from this game. Bucks fans are hoping for better performance from players like AJ Johnson, Tyler Smith and Andre Jackson Jr.

For some reason, the Lakers play six preseason games and have played two of them so far, losing both games to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns. LeBron James and Anthony Davis didn't play against the Timberwolves, but both played against the Suns. One has to wonder if LeBron will be in a bad mood tonight.

Injury report

The good news on the injury front is that Gary Trent Jr. is on the injured list and does not require an MRI on his elbow. He hopes to play tonight. Khris Middleton is recovering from summer ankle surgery and will not play tonight but could be back by the end of pre-season.

The Lakers are out Jarred Vanderbilt (foot surgery), Christian Wood (knee surgery), Cam Reddish (ankle soreness) and Christian Koloko (not cleared under NBA protocol).

Player to keep an eye on

Bronny James is under a lot of scrutiny and attention this season. Being LeBron's son is hard enough, but being on the same team as him adds another layer to the dynamic. We also don't know what type of player he is or will be, so it would be nice to get a look at that tonight.

Here's how to watch

Bally Sports WI or NBATV at 7:00 p.m. CDT.

Editor's note: As usual, there are no game threads in the preseason. This post serves as both a game preview and a thread.

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