Zion's Big Fourth Quarter Lifts Pelicans Over Giannis, Bucks

New Orleans bounced back in a major way to defeat one of the Eastern Conference's best teams.

The Pelicans bounced back in a major way with an impressive 107-100 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. New Orleans played the game with Brandon Ingram, Jose Alvarado, and Dyson Daniels, but managed to pull out the victory against one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with 28 points to help the Pelicans bounce back after a disappointing loss to the Thunder on Tuesday.

All eyes were on the big matchup between Zion Williamson and Giannis Antetokoumpo, and the first quarter did not disappoint. Giannis led all scorers with ten first-quarter points, with the Pelicans powerless to stop him inside. Williamson countered with eight points in the quarter but was assisted by CJ McCollum's seven first-quarter points. Despite the Pelicans shooting 10% from beyond the arc, they pounded the Bucks in the paint, scoring 20 of their 26 points in the restricted area. New Orleans held a slim 26-25 advantage after the first period.

The Pels ratcheted up their defense in the second quarter, starting with a 20-7 run to open the period. Jonas Valanciunas gave them a big boost by scoring the basketball. After not playing in the second half on Tuesday night, Jonas scored 11 points in the second quarter to help push the lead past double-digits. New Orleans forced eight steals and blocked four shots in the first half to neutralize the Bucks' offense. A buzzer-beating shot by Larry Nance, Jr. gave the Pels a 61-45 halftime lead.

Milwaukee made a huge comeback in the third quarter, on the strength of their MVP, Giannis Antetokoumpo, who scored 20 points. The Bucks cut the Pels lead down to five points late in the quarter before a couple of back-to-back three-point shots by the Pels extended their lead back to double-digits.

The Pelicans keyed in on Giannis in the fourth quarter, only allowing him one shot attempt. His running mate, Damian Lillard, did his best to carry the Bucks down the stretch. Lillard scored ten fourth-quarter points, but the Pelicans star Zion Williamson scored 11 points in the final frame to stave off the Milwaukee comeback attempt. New Orleans did a good job of protecting the basketball, committing just seven turnovers while forcing the Bucks into 14 mistakes.

New Orleans' victory keeps them within striking distance of the No. 4 seed in the West, just a half-game behind the Los Angeles Clippers for home-court advantage in the first round. The Pelicans host the Boston Celtics on Saturday afternoon.