Pelicans 114, Bucks 103
Anthony Davis came up big down the stretch and matched his career high with 43 points as visiting New Orleans held off Milwaukee.
Davis went 17-of-23 from the field and added 10 rebounds and six assists to record his fourth career 40-point game for the Pelicans, who pulled within a half-game of Oklahoma City for the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference. Eric Gordon scored 16 points and Tyreke Evans collected 13 points and six assists as New Orleans shot 58.7 percent from the field.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a career-high 29 points on 11-of-16 shooting to lead the Bucks, who sit 2 1/2 games behind the Washington Wizards for the No. 5 spot in the East. Michael Carter-Williams recorded 25 points and seven assists while Khris Middleton scored 17 for Milwaukee.
Davis’ bucket with 7:30 remaining put the Pelicans in front 98-90 but they would go over four minutes without a field goal and the Bucks surged ahead 101-100 on back-to-back baskets from Antetokounmpo. Davis ended the drought with a deep jumper and scored the first eight in a 14-2 run to close out the game for New Orleans.
The Pelicans shot 61.5 percent from the field and knocked down 8-of-10 from beyond the arc in the opening half to take a 60-50 lead into the break. The Bucks battled back to tie it at 77 on Middleton’s jumper with 3:19 left in the third before New Orleans recovered and went into the fourth with an 87-84 advantage.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Evans left the game late in the third quarter with a left ankle injury and did not return. … The Bucks snapped a five-game string of failing to reach 100 points but fell for the seventh time in nine games. … Milwaukee shot 52.1 percent from the floor but was 4-of-15 from beyond the arc.