The New Orleans Pelicans came into Thursday night’s matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks with just eight players in uniform and 11 listed on the injury report. And for a while, it didn’t seem to matter. The Pelicans built a nine-point first-quarter lead and pushed the playoff-bound Bucks well into the second half before finally running out of gas in a 136-111 loss at Fiserv Forum.
Milwaukee, winners of six straight, was led by Giannis Antetokounmpo with 28 points and 11 rebounds. Kevin Porter Jr. added 20 points and seven assists, while Kyle Kuzma and Gary Trent Jr. each chipped in 17. Bobby Portis had 14, and Ryan Rollins added 12 off the bench. The Bucks seized control late in the third quarter with a 9-1 run that opened up a comfortable lead and allowed them to rest their starters for much of the fourth.
Despite the loss, there were bright spots for the Pelicans. Lester Quinones turned in another career-best performance, scoring 21 points just days after putting up 17 against Milwaukee. Jamal Cain and Keion Brooks Jr. each added 20 points, with Brooks knocking down a personal-best four three-pointers. Antonio Reeves scored 16, and both Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Karlo Matkovic finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
The Pels came out hot behind five early points from Robinson-Earl and built a five-point lead halfway through the first quarter. Antonio Reeves buried a three to push the advantage to nine with just over a minute left in the period. But Kevin Porter Jr. responded for Milwaukee, scoring back-to-back buckets to cut it to 26-21 after one.
The Bucks erased the deficit quickly in the second quarter, tying the game in just over two minutes. Quinones then went on a mini-run of his own, scoring 11 in the period to give New Orleans a brief four-point cushion. Milwaukee would respond with an 11-0 burst, getting key buckets from Kuzma and a corner triple by Taurean Prince, to take a 10-point lead late in the half. A Giannis lob finish at the buzzer gave the Bucks a 62-54 lead at the break.
Even after halftime, the Pelicans kept scrapping. Down by only nine points midway through the third, the game still looked within reach before Trent Jr.’s back-to-back buckets helped push the margin to double digits once again. The Bucks outscored the Pelicans 38-31 in the third and opened the fourth on an 8-0 run to put the game out of reach. Milwaukee scored 115 point over the final three quarters.
Still, there were some positives. Elfrid Payton dished out 15 assists in just 26 minutes, though he managed only two points. It marked his fourth straight game with double-digit dimes. Matkovic reached double figures for the eighth straight game, and three players (Quinones, Cain, and Brooks) posted season-highs in scoring.
However, the loss was the fifth straight for New Orleans, giving the Pelicans their fifth losing streak of at least five games. The Pels also end the season 7-34 on the road, tying for the worst road mark in franchise history.
New Orleans returns home to the Smoothie King to close the season against the Miami Heat on Friday and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday. The Pelicans need one more victory to break a tie for the second-fewest wins in team history.
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