Bucks at Pelicans
A near quadruple-double from Anthony Davis could not save the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday, and the team is fighting to stay in the race in the Western Conference. The Pelicans will try to bounce back and keep pace with eighth-place Oklahoma City when they host the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday. The Bucks are in their own fight for playoff position and have dropped two straight while trying to hang onto the No. 6 spot in the East.
Davis posted 36 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists and nine blocks against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday but could not get his mid-range jumpers to fall in the second overtime as New Orleans fell 118-111. That line from Davis is nothing new for the budding superstar, who torched Milwaukee for 43 points on 17-of-23 shooting in a 114-103 win on the road last week. The Bucks are looking at a big gap to No. 5 Washington in the East and have to be careful of red-hot Indiana creeping toward them from the seventh spot.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBATV, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), FSN New Orleans
ABOUT THE BUCKS (34-32): Milwaukee has dropped seven of its last nine games to fall away from the top pack in the East and is trying to end an eight-game road slide. Injuries are taking a toll on the rotation and the bench managed only 14 points in a 96-83 loss at Memphis on Saturday as Michael Carter-Williams (ankle), Jared Dudley (back), O.J. Mayo (hamstring) and Jerryd Bayless (ankle) sat out. Carter-Williams, who is averaging 21.3 points, six rebounds and 5.7 assists in his last three games, sat out practice on Monday but is reportedly going to play on Tuesday.
ABOUT THE PELICANS (36-30): Davis was named Western Conference Player of the Week on Monday thanks in part to his performance against the Bucks, who had no answer for the All-Star last Monday. “I just try to do my part and play with a lot of energy, so we can have energy as a team,” Davis told Nola.com. “I've done quite a few things, but I am nowhere near where I want to be. I still have a lot to learn about the game, about myself and my game.” The Pelicans have won nine of their last 12 games to keep the pressure on the Thunder but could use a win over the Bucks before beginning a three-game road trip that will take them through Phoenix, Golden State and the Los Angeles Clippers.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Pelicans have taken four straight and seven of the last eight in the series.
2. Milwaukee G Khris Middleton is averaging 22.4 points in the last five games, including a pair of 30-point efforts.
3. New Orleans G Eric Gordon has made at least three 3-pointers in each of the last five games.