Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Clutch Stops vs. LeBron James Snap Lakers Close Game Win Streak

A block and steal against James sealed a huge win for the Bucks.

Giannis Antetokounmpo came up big on defense against LeBron James to seal a tight win for the Bucks vs. the Lakers. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Lakers have been far from perfect this season, but at 23–13 they’re right in the heat of the Western Conference playoff picture, and they have been deadly in “clutch games,” defined by the NBA as those within five points in the game’s final five minutes.

Until Friday night, anyway.

Los Angeles was 13–0 in those “clutch games” to open the season, one game short of the NBA record set by the 2015–16 Warriors, who went 73–9 to set the league record for regular season wins. Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks made the trip to L.A. on Friday night and the two-time MVP was the one who came up in the clutch, stripping the ball from LeBron James down the stretch to secure the win.

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Milwaukee entered the fourth quarter up 86–77, but the Lakers staged an impressive comeback, holding a four-point lead with just over three minutes remaining, 98–94, after a James bucket. Then Giannis went to work.

With the score tied at 101, Antetokounmpo rejected James at the rim with 39 seconds left.

GIANNIS WITH THE CLUTCH BLOCK ON LEBRON. pic.twitter.com/yHLi5TIvy9

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) January 10, 2026

Kevin Porter Jr. drew a foul on Luka Dončić on the Bucks’ next possession, fouling the MVP candidate out of the game and putting James back into the lead ball-handler role for the end of the game. Porter hit a pair of free throws to put Milwaukee up 103–101, and on the next possession, James tried to take it to the hoop once again, but Antetokounmpo used his prodigious wingspan to poke the ball away from the Lakers star from behind, sealing the win with a steal.

Giannis pokes it away from LBJ! pic.twitter.com/BRo0YwWNbb

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) January 10, 2026

“I turned the ball over,” James said after the game, per The Athletic. “You definitely can’t do that at that point and time. So, Giannis, he made a great play by getting his arm and tipping it from behind, but can’t turn the ball over—obviously.”

Milwaukee improves to 17–21 with the win, putting them a half-game out of the final play-in tournament spot. The Bucks are 5–2 since Antetokounmpo returned to the lineup just after Christmas, after missing much of December with a calf strain.

Milwaukee’s playoff struggles over the last few seasons have led to questions about Antetokounmpo’s long term future with the franchise, and will remain in focus up until next month’s trade deadline, but when he’s healthy, they remain a team that can compete with anyone on a given night.

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