MILWAUKEE — Within the span of the Lakers’ most impressive win of the season, and perhaps in several seasons, they highlighted seven seconds above all the rest.

In a single play, Russell Westbrook dove for a loose ball, scooping it off the hardwood to a skipping LeBron James. Off-balance, James couldn’t finish the fast-break himself, so he dished off to Anthony Davis, trailing behind with a layup with just 1:07 remaining for one of the biggest baskets in a game filled with highlight moments.

It was, in Davis’ words: “the play that says for us ‘Lakers Basketball.’” And for many fans, it was the first reminder of what that means in a long, long time.

A Friday night ESPN-televised game that might have seemed to some like a matchup of one of the Eastern Conference’s best teams against one of the West’s worst was quickly spun on its head: The Lakers (9-12) finally lived up to the team they’ve said they can be with bright lights shining down on them, topping the Milwaukee Bucks (15-6) on the road, 133-129.

It saw the Lakers’ stars at their best: Davis scored a season-high 44 points, James had 28 points and 11 assists, and Westbrook had 15 points and 11 assists. And beyond the statistics they tallied – all needed to outlast a 40-point game from two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo – the trio made a statement by playing cohesively, no small thing after a turbulent ride in the Big Three era so far.

It was an emotional night for Coach Darvin Ham to claim victory in his first game back in Milwaukee as a head coach against his former team. But he played only one highlight to his locker room after: the loose ball play with Westbrook, James and Davis. To him, it epitomized what the win was about – and the way forward for a team that started the season 2-10.

“All three of our big dogs supporting one another and laying it on the line I thought was key,” Ham said. “And when we talk about winning habits and winning plays, that’s right there at the top of the list: all three of those guys involved to secure the win.”

Against the “well-oiled machine” of the Bucks, the 2021 champions, the Lakers rose to the occasion. They were everything they’ve often struggled to be this season: efficient shooters (11 for 26 from 3-point range), heady rebounders (winning the glass battle 44-42) and nearly perfect caretakers of the ball (32 assists to a season-low four turnovers).

On this night, the two teams were closely matched, both scoring 32 points in a fourth quarter rife with huge shots. While Antetokounmpo skipped into the lane to attack the rim and Jrue Holiday (28 points) got hot from the perimeter in the second half, James and Davis kept just ahead with a nearly unstoppable pick-and-roll. The Lakers led by as much as 14 and only lost the lead on two possessions in the second half, but the Bucks made them sweat for every minute.

In the end, luck helped seal the win: The Bucks missed two open looks from 3-point range from Grayson Allen and Holiday. Westbrook missed a pair of free throws with 13 seconds left that could have sealed a win, but the Lakers never paid for it – Davis hit one of two at the line seconds later after grabbing a clutch rebound in traffic for his ninth straight double-double.

Davis came off the best of any of the performers, with his first 40-point game since May 2021. While his surge in recent weeks has come through attacking the paint, the 29-year-old’s jump shot returned for the prime-time affair. He was 18 for 27 from the floor, including two 3-pointers, which have largely been absent from his repertoire.

Davis said he was partly inspired by his own sports heroes: Stars from his beloved Green Bay Packers Aaron Rodgers and Randall Cobb came to watch the tilt, though gently pulling for the hometown Bucks.

“I saw (Rodgers) before the game. He was like, ‘A.D., man, I’m going to need 30 tonight,’” Davis said, moments after running into the gridiron duo in the Fiserv Forum tunnels. “And then I just saw him, he said, ‘I only said 30. Not 40.’”

Westbrook was key to setting Davis off on his hot streak, playing one of his best games as a Laker. Seven of his 11 assists came in the first quarter, and Westbrook was also 6 for 11 from the field while attacking the rim. His competitiveness was in peak form, too: He counted out loud for several of Antetokounmpo’s free-throw attempts, highlighting the Greek Freak’s well-documented practice of taking too long at the line.

In the third quarter, Antetokounmpo drew his first 10-second violation of the season.

“I did feel validated,” Westbrook smirked. “I’m glad they paid attention.”

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The stat of the night, however, arguably belonged to James: In recording 11 assists, he passed Magic Johnson (10,141) for sixth on the career list with a dime on a Davis 3-pointer in the fourth quarter. Though more attention has been focused on James targeting Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s career scoring record, the moment meant a lot to James who has cited Johnson as one of his guiding stylistic influences.

“The way Magic approached the game, it was very infectious,” he said. “His teammates loved playing with him because the joy they played with, literally to pass the ball and get other guys the ball. He always was excited about seeing his teammates be great, and I always kind of admired that.”

In their own way, the Lakers had some of those same “Showtime” Era qualities on Friday night, though James cautioned against comparing the team’s body of work with Milwaukee’s: “We’re not there.”

But that comment had a very different tone to it than when James spoke out last February after a thrashing from the Bucks. This time, the Lakers might be making progress toward believing they can be competitive, winning their seventh game in the last nine.

Ham, too, stressed caution. But for the Lakers, it’s a promising place to start.

“You want it to be perfect,” Ham said. “And excellence is getting it just almost 100 percent right. But there’s always going to be a little unforeseen circumstance or something that happens where you can’t get it completely perfect. But I’ll settle for excellence every day of the week and twice on Sunday.”

AD slams it home

Lakers lead by 3 with seconds remaining on ESPN pic.twitter.com/tL3KhcXdvM

— NBA (@NBA) December 3, 2022

What a performance by Anthony Davis.

44 PTS
10 REB
4 AST
3 BLK
W pic.twitter.com/iF0JZrZgQG

— NBA (@NBA) December 3, 2022

AD: 44 PTS, 10 REB, 4 AST, 3 BLK
Giannis: 40 PTS, 7 REB, 5 AST

Respect between two of the best in the game after a MONSTER duel in Milwaukee. pic.twitter.com/s0Fw3En1Yd

— NBA (@NBA) December 3, 2022