Lakers at 10-2 Make Their Case as Contenders, With Reaves Set to Return at Milwaukee

The Lakers have the NBA's best record at 10-2 and a six-game winning streak, and the last two wins say the most about them. They beat Detroit without Luka Dončić and then beat Atlanta without Austin Reaves. That has the New York Post calling them a title contender. Columnist Melissa Rohlin admitted she did not expect to make that case this season: "They could win it all this season."

The numbers support her. The Post reports that Dončić is averaging 39.3 points on 49.8 percent shooting, along with 7.8 rebounds and 7.9 assists. His 361 points through nine games beat Michael Jordan's 347 from 1986-87 for the most at that stage in the modern era. Reaves, who signed a four-year, $180 million deal over the summer, is averaging 25.3 points on 50.8 percent shooting and 41.3 percent from three. He scored a season-high 43 in Sunday's 121-116 win at Detroit while Dončić sat with lower back tightness. Walker Kessler, the center the Lakers paid heavy draft capital for in July, is averaging 14.9 points and 10.8 rebounds and leads the league in contested shots.

The bench carried Monday's 124-114 win in Atlanta. Reaves was out ill, and Al Jazeera noted that Quentin Grimes was also missing. Dončić had 32 points and 10 assists, Sandro Mamukelashvili added 23 points and Collin Sexton scored 18. The team still has a weak spot: the Post ranks the Lakers first in offensive rating at 121.5 but 19th on defense at 113.8, even though they force a lot of steals and deflections.

The roster should be closer to full strength Wednesday. FantasyPros, citing Jovan Buha, reports that Reaves is off the injury report for Milwaukee. Heavy reports that Grimes is questionable with a right finger sprain.

What it means for Milwaukee

The Lakers play the Bucks on Wednesday, November 11, to close a road trip that has gone well so far. They are 5-1 away from home this season, with the only loss a 112-95 defeat at Golden State, and 5-1 at home. Across 12 games they have scored about 122.1 points and allowed about 114.4. Five of the six games in the current streak finished with at least 237 combined points. The exception was a 116-103 win at Sacramento.

The board at /odds/los-angeles-lakers-at-milwaukee-bucks-2026-11-11 lists 12 venues, and the Lakers are heavy road favorites. Novig, one of those venues, has Los Angeles at -525 on the moneyline, which returns $19.05 per $100, and Milwaukee at +506. On the spread, Novig has the Lakers favored by 12.5 at +104. The best Lakers spread price anywhere is BetRivers at -11.5, -104, so the venues are about a point apart on the line itself. Sportsbook hold on the spread ranges from 3.0 to 5.5 percent. The total is 232.5, with Novig at +104 on the over and -106 on the under. That number sits about four points below the Lakers' combined scoring average this season.

The spread prices in a full roster for the Lakers, Reaves included, and Grimes's status is still open. Season-to-date coverage is on our Lakers page.