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Lakers return home to face Bucks

Dec 7, 2008 - 7:37 AM Milwaukee (9-12) at LA Lakers (16-2) 9:30 p.m. EST

LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- The Los Angeles Lakers are returning home after a three-game road trip, and the Milwaukee Bucks are their homecoming gift.

The Lakers will look to push their latest winning streak to three games when they face the Bucks on Saturday.

Los Angeles got off to a poor start on its trip, suffering its second loss of the season on a last-second tip-in by Troy Murphy against the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday. The Lakers responded with a solid win at Philadelphia on Wednesday before scraping past the Washington Wizards on Friday.

Kobe Bryant scored 23 points and Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum each recorded double-doubles against the Wizards, but Los Angeles allowed at 15-point lead at the start of the fourth quarter to shrink to the point where Washington had a chance to win but missed a 3-pointer on the buzzer.

The close shave combined with the comforts of home should have the Lakers properly motivated at the Staples Center, where they are 9-1.

The Bucks are coming off a close shave of their own, scraping past the lowly Charlotte Bobcats, 101-96, on Friday. Richard Jefferson sealed the game with a pair of late free throws.

Milwaukee has won its last two games, coinciding with the return to the starting lineup of Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut. Redd scored 25 points against Charlotte while Bogut chipped in 10 points and 10 rebounds.