MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee and New Orleans entered Wednesday headed in opposite directions in the standings, but hopes for a more competitive matchup seemed to receive a boost when the Bucks announced that 2018-19 league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo would be sidelined by a quad injury. It didn’t slow down Milwaukee one bit, however, as the hosts quickly built a huge first-half lead and cruised past New Orleans for a 16th consecutive win. The Pelicans lost for a 10th straight time and will face a tough Philadelphia team on the 76ers’ home floor Friday.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Milwaukee’s lead ballooned to as many as 28 points in the second quarter. The Pelicans managed to get back within 13 on the scoreboard in the third period, but never seriously threatened the hosts, who have only lost once this season at Fiserv Forum.
PELICANS PLAYER OF THE GAME
JJ Redick deposited a season-best 31 points and was efficient in doing so, finishing 10 of 16 from the field. The shooting guard was a perfect 8/8 at the foul line and went 3/7 on three-pointers. Redick made 10 of his first 14 before missing a few shots with the Pelicans hurrying to create quick offense late in the fourth period.
BY THE NUMBERS
2: First-half Milwaukee turnovers, a testament to how sharp the Bucks were despite facing an opponent with a significantly worse record.
40-36: New Orleans edge in an extremely high-scoring third quarter. The Bucks led 69-46 at halftime.
#WESTERNCONFERENCEWEDNESDAY
It’s been a frustrating first 25 games of the regular season for New Orleans, but that doesn’t mean the Pelicans haven’t had some highlights along the way. Among the team’s five victories in-conference, three stand out, either due to the competition or the rarity of the Pelicans prevailing on the road. In a fan poll Wednesday, there was wide agreement that the best West win of 2019-20 occurred Nov. 14, when New Orleans bested the LA Clippers by a 132-127 tally, in what was Paul George’s season debut. That triumph garnered over 50 percent of votes, followed by an Oct. 31 win over Denver and a Nov. 21 victory at Phoenix, which is NOLA’s only road win against a West host.
