Bucks 103, Pelicans 92
MILWAUKEE -- Khris Middleton scored 19 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo added 18 to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 103-92 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans Saturday evening at the Bradley Center.
After watching Antetokounmpo record three triple-doubles over the last month, Middleton spent his Saturday night flirting with one but fell just short, finishing with 10 rebounds and eight assists.
Jabari Parker had been averaging 22.3 points per game since the all-star break but was held to 15 on 4-of-10 shooting with five turnovers.
His teammates picked him up and shot an even 50 percent from the field while scoring 17 off 16 New Orleans turnovers.
Anthony Davis led the Pelicans with 29 points, but they certainly didn't come easy; he went eight-for-22 from the field and scored 11 from the free-throw line. Davis also finished with 11 rebounds.
Cold shooting was a problem overall for New Orleans, went 39.3 percent from the field and six-for-29 from behind the 3-point line. The Pelicans were just eight-for-24 in the third quarter and gave up 26 points in the fourth as the Bucks went ahead by as many as 15.
Milwaukee shot over 50 percent from the field in the first half and held New Orleans to just 19-for-47 shooting but led by only three at intermission in large part because the Pelicans scored 10 second-chance points off six offensive rebounds.
The Pelicans have lost three in a row and seven of their last eight games, overall. On the road, New Orleans has dropped six of its last seven and five straight.
NOTES: After playing 41 minutes in the Pelicans' overtime loss at Memphis Friday night, Jrue Holiday was not in the starting lineup when New Orleans took on the Bucks on Saturday in Milwaukee. Head coach Alvin Gentry said the move was an attempt to manage Holiday's minutes. ... F Luke Babbit started in place of Holiday against the Bucks. ... F John Henson could return to Milwaukee's rotation sometime next week. Bucks coach Jason Kidd said Henson was able to return to a full workload in practice, but would need some time before he's ready to see game action. Henson has been sidelined because of a sore back since Jan. 26. ... The Pelicans have won the last six meetings against the Bucks, including a 116-99 victory Jan. 23 in New Orleans. Milwaukee is 7-23 against the Pelicans since the franchise moved from Charlotte before the 2002-03 season.