Pelicans Rally But Drop Fourth Straight, Fall To Bucks
New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green told his team that they had left their defense at home following their 0-3 road trip through Utah and Phoenix.
For three-plus quarters, it seemed like the Pelicans’ defense might still be sitting unclaimed on a carousel at Armstrong International Airport.
The Pelicans rallied to come back from a deficit that swelled to as many as 18, cutting it to three with under two minutes remaining.
But it wasn’t enough as New Orleans lost their fourth consecutive game, falling to the Milwaukee Bucks 128-119.
Jonas Valanciunas kept the Pelicans in the game early, operating as the focal point of the New Orleans offense.
JV opened the game by splashing back-to-back three pointers, spotting New Orleans a quick 6-0 lead.
As Milwaukee forced the ball out of Zion’s hand, Jonas was happy to pick it up as he finished the quarter with 15 of the Pelicans’ 27 points.
Still, New Orleans trailed by three heading into the second quarter. Jonas added 13 more in the second, finishing with 28 points in the half.
While Giannis Antetokounmpo versus Williamson was billed as the matchup of the night, this became a game of “Giannis or Jonas.”
Valanciunas would go on to finish the game with 37 points, 18 rebounds, and five assists, while tying his career high with seven three-pointers.
Valanciunas kept the Pelicans in the game almost single-handedly before his teammates started to pick up the slack in the fourth.
Down 18 points with 9:38 to play, CJ McCollum started to cook. McCollum scored 14 of his 31 points in the final period and Williamson added nine as New Orleans continued to chip away at its deficit.
McCollum’s fadeaway jumper made it 114-117, and the comeback almost seemed inevitable.
Unfortunately, former Pelican Jrue Holiday would knock down a three-pointer on the very next possession to push the lead back to six, followed by an assist to Brooke Lopez to make it eight in the span of 30 seconds.
After that, time was no longer on the Pelicans’ side as Milwaukee closed to door.
Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with a game-high 42 points as Milwaukee pounded the Pels inside, out scoring them 54-42 in points in the paint.
The Bucks shot nearly 56 percent from the floor and became the third consecutive team to get at least 30 free throw attempts against New Orleans.
Milwaukee outscored the Pelicans on the break and off the bench, continuing a concerning trend.
The fact that New Orleans even had a chance to win this game late, is a testimony to their effort.
The Pelicans being down 18 in the first place, is a testimony to the inconsistency that has plagued the team as of late.
New Orleans gets its next chance to get back on the winning side of things on Thursday when they host the San Antonio Spurs.
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