Bucks 100 - 107 Pelicans summary, stats, scores and highlights | NBA
McCollum ended the Bucks chances at a comeback with this dagger three ball from long range to end the night with 25 points. If McCollum plays like he played against the Bucks, and Zion stays healthy and second leading scorer Brandon Ingram comes back in time to get fit for the playoffs, this is going to be a team that other teams look to avoid in the West.
The Pelicans continue to float over the Play-In position while eyes a top four spot which would secure home court advantage in the first round. It's most likely going down to the wire in the West and this Bucks loss makes everything a little more interesting in the race for second place.
We saw Zion doing a lot of things we see do Giannis do on a nightly basis. Word in New Orleans is that the Pelicans star is eating right, and losing weight which comes at perfect timing for the Pelicans considering what lies ahead. Zion had 28, 5 and 2 on a night in which he went toe to toe with one of the league's best players.
After Giannis single handily cut the lead down to 3 points, Trey Murphy answered the call and hit back to back three balls to calm the waters and breaks up the Bucks momentum.
Zion and company stretched their lead to 18 out of the halftime break, but ran into a brick wall as Giannis flicked the switch and turned into a superhero. He had 20 straight points for MIL in the third quarter alone but it wasn't enough to down the Pelicans.
When Jonas Valanciunas is hitting three balls, that's when you know the Pelicans are rolling. The big man had 17 and 10 rebounds in the win and looked more like Brook Lopez than Brook Lopez did with his outside shots.
There has been a lot of momentum behind the Herb Jones for the Defensive First-Team and his game against the Bucks only helped his case. He had four steals and three blocks to go along with his 11 points and 4 rebounds.
It wasn't just Zion attacking Giannis like he wasn't afraid of him. It was everyone on the Pelicans who seem to have a different sort of swagger about them these days. Murray didn't just have this big dunk over the Greek, he had 15 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists
CJ McCollum went up against fellow former Portland Trail Blazer Damian Lillard, and won the battle of the ex-teammates. Not only did the Pelicans get the win, but he outscored Lillard while dishing 7 assists and pulling down 7 rebounds.
The New Orleans Pelicans came up with a massive win over the Milwaukee Bucks to stay ahead of the pack of Play-In teams while keeping an eye on the LA Clippers in 4th. Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum led the way in the 107-100 win from the Smoothie King Center.
Zion didn't waste any time getting going in a game he knew he would see pleny of Giannis Antetokounmpo. Both got off to great starts, exchanging buckets early on and setting the tone for the rest of the night.
IT'S ALL OVER!!!
The Pelicans get a big win over a quality opponent to stay in the hunt for 4th, and keep their distance from Play-In position.
Murphy sent to the line after the foul on Beasley and he hits both FTs.
Lillard jacks a quick three and he drills it.
Jones to the line after Middleton got a quick foul on him and he hits both FTs.
Giannis to the cup and stretches for the lay up.
Zion to the FT line and he hits both FTs after the foul on Lopez with 37 on the clock.
Lillard spins at the top of the key and lays it up and in with a wide open lane to the iron.
Zion to the line after the foul on Middleton and he hits one of two FTs with under 2:00 to go. He's got 26 on the night.
Great interior passing leads to a lay up for Zion. He missed the lay up but got fouled by Giannis and he hits both FTs.
Lillard out of the timeout and he drills the three ball from the top of the key off the handoff from Giannis!!!
Timeout Bucks with 3:34 to go in the 4th quarter.
Dump off from Jones to Zion in the lane and he puts it up and in over Lopez.
Beasley to the line after the foul on Murphy and he hits both FTs with 4:00 to go.
Beasley answers back with a triple from the top of the key and he drills the three ball! He's got 18, all from downtown!
McCollum had to jack a deep three ball with the shot clock winding down and he drills it!
The call is overturned and Middleton hits the fade away off the turn around in the lane.
Giannis runs over Zion and he's called for the charge. MIL is going to challenge the call with 5:35 to go in the 4th.
Lillards drives left and lays it up off the glass.
Zion to the line after the foul on Lopez and he drops both FTs.
Giannis fouled by Nance and he hits one of two. He's got 33 points.
Zion misses the FT out of the timeout.
Zion got fouled by Giannis and got the runner to go!
Timeout Pelicans with 6:46 to go in the 4th.
Valanciunas follows the miss from McCollum and tips it in.
Lopez spins to the lane, gets the lay up to go and gets the foul on Jones. FT is good.
Lopez to the line after the foul on Ryan and he hits one of two FTs.
Crowder was left wide open and he drills the three from the wing!
Valanciunas on the baseline and he sticks the mid range J over Portis.
We are headed to the fourth and final quarter. Giannis made a run, scoring 20 straight for Milwaukee but New Orleans absorbed the blow and go into the last 12 up by 12.
Murphy to the line after the foul on Middleton and he hits both FTs.
McCollum looks for Nance in the corner and he drills the three ball!
Giannis back to the iron and he's got 20 straight Bucks points.
Murphy with back to back triples and the Pelicans are back up by 9!
Giannis hits the elbow jumper and he's got 18 straight for MIL.
Giannis picks up the loose ball and goes to the basket with his head down and lays it in. He's got 16 straight for the Bucks.
TImeout Pelicans with 3:44 to go in the 3rd.
Giannis to the line after the foul on Jones and he hits one of FTs.
Giannis with another strong drive and jam down the lane.
Zion backing down and flips it up over Lopez.
Giannis spinning through the lane and he finger rolls it in.
Giannis streaking to the rack in transition and he gets the lay up to drop.
Middleton lobs it up from the FT line and Giannis is there with the throw down.
McCollum gets to the FT line from the baseline and he drops the fader.
Nance sends Giannis to the line and he hits both FTs.
Nance with the catch and shoot on the baseline and he hits the mid range jumper.
Zion backing down low and he puts it up and in off the glass.
Giannis hits the FT out of the timeout
Giannis to the cup and he gets the bucket to go and the foul on Zion!
Timeout Pelicans with 8:09 to go in the 3rd quarter.
Beasley strings the three off the kick out from Middleton.
Zion goes right to the rack and double pumps through a couple defenders, gets the foul and the bucket! FT is good.
Lillard goes coast to coast and lays it up and in.
Giannis to the line after the foul on Valanciunas and misses both FTs again!
McCollum to the line after the foul on Beasley and he hits both FTs.
Middleton strokes a three ball from the top of the key! He's got his first three after four misses.
Giannis to the line after the foul on Zion but he misses both one FTs.
WE ARE BACK FOR THE SECOND HALF OF ACTION FROM NEW ORLEANS.
Valanciunas was money from everywhere in the first half, including from downtown. He's got 13 and 4 rebounds.
Herb Jones is getting a lot of love for the All-Defense team this year, and with performances like tonight's he's only building his case. He's got three steals and nine points.
Beasley came out of the gate and hit three threes in the first quarter and goes to the break with 12 on 4/5 shooting from downtown.
It's not often you see Giannis get dunked on but Trey Murphy put him on a poster for two of his 5 first half points.
Zion slowed down after the first few minutes but CJ McCollum made his mark on the defensive and the offensive end.
Giannis got going right off the tip. He and Zion exchanged buckets for the first couple possessions.
This game got off to a roaring start but slowed down as the first half went on. Zion got thing going with a couple quick buckets as him and Giannis went toe to toe.
Nance with the offensive rebound and he floats up a buzzer beater to bring us to the halftime break.
Giannis goes to the rack off the alley oop from Lopez and he lays it home.
McCollum answers back with a three from the corner off the dish from Zion.
Beasley pulls up in transition and nails the three from the wing! He's got 12.
Zion to the line after the foul on Giannis and he hits both FFTs.
Lopez banks in the three from the top of the key off!
McCollum goes back into the lane and tear drops one from inside the FT line.
Lillard steps back and drills the three from the wing over Valanciunas.
McCollium running the break and he gets the floater to go from the FT line AND 1! FT is good.
Valanciunas with a block on one end and he drills the pick and pop three ball from the top of the key.
Middleton gets into the paint and floats it over the big bodies down low.
Jones with the steal on one end and he takes it coast to coast for the lay up!
Timeout Bucks with 5:47 to go in the first quarter.
Jones in the corner and he drills the triple try from the corner off the kickout from Zion.
McCollum gets the bucket off the drive and the foul on Lillard! FT is good and the Pelicans have their largest lead.
Lillard going to the cup and lays it up off the glass.
Valanciunas showing his range and hits another mid range jumper.
Crowder finds Connaugton with the three ball from the corner.
Valanciunas off the pick and roll and McCollum fed him for the lay in.
Timeout Bucks with 8:20 to go in the 2nd quarter.
Valanciunas to the line after the foul on Connaughton and he hits both FTs.
Jones gets his own rebound and puts it back up and in.
Portis floats one up and in after the dish from Crowder down the lane.
Valanciunas flashes to the FT line and he hits the jumper.
Hawkins fouled on the three ball by Beverley and he his two of three.
Nance goes right at Giannis and cocked back like he was going to dunk it but got the lay up to fall.
We are at the end of the first quarter, and it's been tight so far.
Giannis out in open space and stretches to the lane for the lay up.
Murphy down low and he slams it home after the dump down by Nance.
Giannis kicks out to Portis in the corner and he drills the three ball.
Lillard to the line out of the timeout and he hits one of two after the foul on Hawkins.
Timeout Bucks with 2:24 to go in the 1st quarter.
Zion streaking to the basket and double clutches for the lay up.
Lopez gets T'd up from the bench after picking up his second fou and Murphy hits the FT.
Zion going back to the bucket and he stretches down the lane for the lay up.
Beasley spots up from the wing and he's got three triples on the night.
Murphy tear drops over Lopez and hits it in the lane.
McCollum running the break after the Jones steal and dish for the lay up.
Jones to the line and he his both FTs after the foul from Lillard.
Lillard blows past Valinciunas for the lay up and the Pelicans are going to take a timeout with 6:35 to go in the first quarter.
Giannis had his first attempt blocked but got it back and got the put back to go.
McCollum picks off the pass from Lillard and he gets up and slams it with two hands.
Beasley with his second three of the quarter off the catch and shoot from the kickout from Lillard.
Middleton with the dump down and Giannis pump fakes and slams it home.
Valanciunas tips it up and in after McCollum got blocked by Lopez.
Beasley answers back with a three ball from the top of the key!
McCollum drills a three ball from the wing and we are off to a feverish start!
Giannis going back to the rack and he's got four quick points off two lay ups.
Zion of the dribble and he takes it in and gets the roll on the lay up.
Giannis spins to the rack and lays it up on the left side.
Alley oop over the top from Jones and he slams it home to start the game.
WE ARE UNDERWAY FROM NEW ORLEANS!!!
It's Zion joined by McCollum, JOnes, Murphy III and Valancunius tongiht against the Bucks. They are going to have to come out swinging playing the team they were handed their largest loss of the season .
The Bucks are getting healthy at the right time, and that is going to help them as we approach the playoffs. They want their stars ready for the postseason, but they also want Giannis and Dame Lillard to have as much time on the court as possible. It's Dame and Giannis, Beasley and Middleton with Lopez down low
NBA Standings
Taking a look at the standings in both conferences we seen these teams towards the top of the table in the East and the West. The Bucks are in the two spot, leading the New York Knicks by 2 games, and the Cavaliers by 2.5 games. They don’t have a chance to catch up to the Celtics who have essentially clinched the top seed, but holding on to the two seed is going to be critical for the Bucks heading into the final 10 games of the season. The Pelicans have some work to do if they are going to catch up to the Clippers for the four spot in the West while watching their back because they are just a game and a half away from Play-In position. The race in the west is going to go down to the wire, and every game is going to matter from here on out.
Doc thinking long term
Giannis sat out the game against the Celtics last week, perhaps for preventive measures, perhaps as a strategy as Doc Rivers thinks about the future. They obviously want their two time MVP as healthy as possible going into the playoffs, but Doc doesn’t want to give up all his secrets in a meaningless regular season game as the Celtics have blown past the competition in the East. It’s looking more and more likely that the top two teams in the conference are going to meet in the conference finals, especially if he continues to play as he has been since coming back from injury. He is averaging 27 and 17 in his last three games.
Zion going the distance
The New Orleans Pelicans season, postseason and title aspirations lay on the shoulders of one man. We really don’t know what to expect or how Williamson will perform at this stage of the season because we have never seen him make it to this point in the season. The former Dukie is averaging 22, 5.8 and 5.1 assists this season, and has the Pelicans fighting for the top four in a stacked Western Conference. Word out of New Orleans is he is trimming down, staying out of the city’s endless culinary scene and buckling down for the rest of the season. If that’s the case this can be a very dangerous team going forward.
Pelicans last game
The Pelicans hosted not just one of the top teams in the West, but one of the top teams in the league and had them in the crosshairs. Zion Williamson had 29 points, but the Pelicans sank to a 20 point deficit in the second half. OKC showed just how electric their offense could be, but it was New Orleans who went on a 14-0 run soon after trailing by 20. Zion and company took a brief lead with less than five minutes to go, but went scoreless in the last three minutes and lost by seven.
Bucks last game
Milwaukee welcomed the Los Angeles Lakers to town for their first of a six game road trip, and led LA for nearly the entire way. They would have gone wire to wire, but they blew a 19 point lead despite Giannis’ triple double against a LeBron-less Lakers. Anthony Davis dominated, posting 34 and 23 rebounds, but it was Austin Reaves that hit big shots late in a triple double performance to tie the game up and push it to OT. The first OT session wasn’t enough as the Lakers pushed the Bucks to double overtime and finally took control of the game and sank the Bucks and handed them their first home loss in the last seven.
We are live from the Blender
Hello everyone and welcome to New Orleans where the Pelicans come into tonight hoping to rebound after a tough loss to one of the pace setters in the Western Conference. They are chasing home court in the first round of the playoffs, but currently sit outside of the first four in the West cooing into tonight. The Bucks are looking to respond after a heart breaking home loss in which the Lakers took them to double overtime. They are hanging on to the two seed at the moment but they can’t lost too many more games from here to the rest of the season.
Bucks vs. Pelicans
Two teams fighting for playoff position meet for an interconfernece showdown from the Smoothie King Center. It’s Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans taking on the Milwaukee Bucks in a crucial battle as we approach the end of the regular season. AS English will be with you all night providing live coverage, stats highlights and analysis of tonight’s game from the Big Easy.