Five takeaways from the Lakers’ 113-95 win over the Milwaukee Bucks

The Lakers (4-21) won their second home game of the season, defeating the Milwaukee Bucks (10-16) on Tuesday. Here are five takeaways from the Lakers’ 113-85 win at Staples Center.

1. After so many losses this season, the vibe around the team after the win was noticeably different.

Coach Byron Scott was out quicker after his meeting with the team to talk to the media. The locker room was open earlier.

The players were cheerful and more talkative -- plenty of smiles from players and coaches alike.

Seven players finished in double figures, led by Kobe Bryant with 22 points.

2. The Lakers shared the ball well against Milwaukee, converting 41 baskets on a season-high 26 assists, with 14 turnovers.

Bryant looked to make plays, finishing with six assists. Jordan Clarkson returned from an ankle injury to score 12 with three assists.

Clarkson’s return pushed D’Angelo Russell back to the bench, where he led all players with seven assists. Marcelo Huertas played just two late minutes, instead of playing alongside Russell in the second unit as he had in recent games before Clarkson’s minor injury.

Russell hit seven of 13 shots, scoring 19 points in 29 1/2 minutes.

“He’s playing with a lot of confidence,” Scott said of Russell. “He has the personality to be a leader, but at 19 [years old], you can’t figure it out. It just comes naturally. For him, communication on the floor is natural, but the leadership part, you have to earn that from your teammates.”

Bryant is pleased with how his young teammate is developing.

“I think he’s reading the flow of the game much better,” Bryant said. “I think that just comes from time and experience. It seems like he’s more comfortable with the tempo of the game, where now he can, instead of reacting to plays, he can really read in advance what is going to happen -- which then puts him more in control.”

3. The Bucks played without one of their best players, which didn’t hurt the Lakers’ cause.

“I think we missed Moose tonight,” Coach Jason Kidd said of Greg Monroe, whose nickname apparently is Moose.

“Understand [he’s] the guy that we can go to in the post, on the block and to slow things down,” Kidd said. “They had their way on the rebound offensively. Every time we got a miss, they came up with the loose ball or the rebound and converted.”

The Lakers finished with an 18-12 advantage on the offensive glass, led by Julius Randle with six off the bench. Starters Roy Hibbert and Larry Nance Jr. also had four apiece.

1/13

Los Angeles Lakers forward Nick Young (0) and guard Lou Williams (23) force a jump ball after tying up Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo in the first half at Staples Center on Tuesday.

  (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

2/13

Los Angeles Lakers center Roy Hibbert (17) and forward Larry Nance Jr. (7) go after a defensive rebound against Milwaukee Bucks guard Khris Middleton (22) in the first half at Staples Center on Tuesday.

  (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

3/13

Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson (6) gets hand slaps from guard Lou Williams (23) and forward Larry Nance Jr. (7) after being fouled by the Milwaukee Bucks at Staples Center on Tueday.

  (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

4/13

Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell hugs a fan after the Lakers 113-95 win over the Milwaukee Bucks at Staples Center on Tuesday.

  (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

5/13

Los Angeles Lakers center Roy Hibbert (17) makes a forceful dunk over Milwaukee Bucks forward John Henson in the first half at Staples Center on Tuesday.

  (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

6/13

The Lakers’ Kobe Bryant gets fouled by Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo during a Dec. 15 game at Staples Center.

  (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

7/13

Lakers’ D’Angelo Russell dribbles past Milwaukee’s Johnny O’Bryant III during the first half of a game at Staples Center on Tuesday.

  (Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)

8/13

Milwaukee Bucks’ Jabari Parker, center, controls the ball while Los Angeles Lakers’ D’Angelo Russell, left, and Kobe Bryant defend during the first half on Tuesday.

  (Danny Moloshok / AP)

9/13

Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, center, passes off the ball between Milwaukee Bucks’ John Henson, left, and Giannis Antetokounmpo during the first half on Tuesday.

  (Danny Moloshok / AP)

10/13

Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, center, holds onto the ball while a jump ball is called as Los Angeles Lakers’ Louis Williams, left, and Nick Young, right, defend him during the first half on Tuesday.

  (Danny Moloshok / AP)

11/13

Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, left, greets Milwaukee Bucks Coach Jason Kidd just before Tuesday’s game.

  (Danny Moloshok / Associated Press)

12/13

Milwaukee Bucks’ Michael Carter-Williams, left, stares down a loose ball he caused while defending Los Angeles Lakers’ D’Angelo Russell, right, during the first half on Tuesday.

  (Danny Moloshok / AP)

13/13

Los Angeles Lakers coach Byron Scott, left, and Kobe Bryant, right, smile on the sideline as Bryant waits for a stop in play to enter the game against the Milwaukee Bucks during the first half on Tuesday.

  (Danny Moloshok / AP)

The 18 offensive rebounds were also a season high for the team.

Randle led all players with 14 total rebounds, followed by Hibbert with 11. The Lakers held a 52-38 total rebounding edge.

Monroe was a late scratch after he “knocked knees” at the team’s shootaround, Kidd said. He’s to be evaluated on Wednesday, the coach said.

4. Bucks forward/center John Henson left impressed by Randle’s play.

“He was a force down there,” Henson said. “His energy [was good], maybe coming off the bench had something do with that. He’s a good player.

Randle scored 14 points to go with his 14 rebounds, his 11th double-double this season.

“His effort was great,” Scott said. “He was all over the place, trying to rebound the ball. That’s how he has to play. He has to play with that level of effort and intensity.”

5. The Lakers are still in last place in the Western Conference, better than just the Philadelphia 76ers (1-25).

The Lakers are seven games behind the eighth-place Denver Nuggets (11-14) and 2.5 behind the 14th-place New Orleans Pelicans (6-18).

Looking ahead to the 2016 NBA draft lottery, the Lakers would have a 55.8% chance of a top-three pick in next June’s draft. If the Lakers fall below third in the lottery, the Philadelphia 76ers will get the team’s pick as part of the Steve Nash trade, via the Phoenix Suns.

Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus

MORE LAKERS NEWS

D’Angelo Russell will return to reserve role with Lakers despite his recent progress

Lakers left to wonder what might have been with Milwaukee’s Greg Monroe

Lakers return home to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks impressively, 113-95