Giannis Antetokounmpo collected 28 points and 11 rebounds and the host Milwaukee Bucks pulled away from the New Orleans Pelicans 136-111 on Thursday night.
Antetokounmpo fell five assists short of what would have been his fourth straight triple-double, but the Bucks (46-34) still won their sixth consecutive game. Kevin Porter Jr. scored 20, Kyle Kuzma and Gary Trent Jr. scored 17 each, Bobby Portis had 14 and Ryan Rollins 12.
Lester Quinones scored a career-high 21, Keion Brooks Jr. and Jamal Cain each set a career best with 20, Antonio Reeves scored 16, Karlo Matkovic and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl both had 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Elfrid Payton had 15 assists to lead the Pelicans (21-59), who lost their fifth consecutive game.
Matkovic made two dunks and three teammates also scored as the Pelicans trimmed an eight-point halftime deficit to four early in the third quarter. The Bucks scored the next four points, but New Orleans got within five on a 3-pointer by Brooks.
Antetokounmpo scored the first seven points of a 24-14 run that gave Milwaukee a 100-85 lead at the end of the third quarter.
The Bucks scored the first eight points of the fourth quarter to seize command against a Pelicans team that dressed just eight players. Milwaukee used 14 players.
Antetokounmpo made a jumper to start the scoring, but that was the Bucks’ only lead in the first quarter. Robinson-Earl scored nine points and Matkovic made two 3-pointers to help New Orleans open a 19-11 lead.
The Pelicans’ biggest lead was nine, but Porter scored the final four points to trim the lead to 26-21 at the end of the first quarter.
Matkovic’s 3-pointer started the second-quarter scoring and New Orleans led by eight a second time before Milwaukee made a push. Antetokounmpo scored six points and Taurean Prince’ 3-pointer gave the Bucks a 47-46 lead.
The Pelicans went back in front by a point twice before Kuzma scored eight points during a 13-4 run that gave Milwaukee a 62-54 halftime lead.
–Field Level Media
