The Milwaukee Bucks are rolling after taking home one of their most thrilling victories of the 2020-21 season by edging past the New Orleans Pelicans Thursday night at Fiserv Forum.
It was a true shootout in every sense of the word as both teams were unstoppable, especially so in the first half. With both the Bucks and the Pelicans executing to as best they could, they certainly set up what was an entertaining close down the stretch.
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That execution was largely nowhere to be found in the final minute as the Bucks committed a costly turnover that set up a chance for the Pelicans to tie the game at 128 on two separate occasions.
Instead, Eric Bledsoe’s 3-point attempt was well off the mark and after forcing a turnover on Khris Middleton on the subsequent play, the Pelicans overpassed their final possession that saw Donte DiVincenzo draw a clutch charge. Despite that helter-skelter finish, the Bucks stood on top at the final buzzer.
So without further ado, let’s examine what all stood out in the Milwaukee Bucks’ 129-125 win over the New Orleans Pelicans from Thursday night.
First takeaway from win over Pelicans — Milwaukee Bucks stars pilot team down the stretch
There’s no question the battle between the Bucks and the Pelicans, with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Zion Williamson at the center of it all, didn’t disappoint.
With both teams exploding offensively, the Bucks were certainly good hands with Antetokounmpo driving the Bucks’ interior attack. Antetokounmpo was simply unstoppable on his way to the rim as 24 of his 38 total points came within the painted area. Antetokounmpo being able to get to the rim at will was certainly made easier by the Pelicans uncharacteristically surrendering 64 paint points on the night.
Along with his 35-plus point performance, which is the first Bucks player to pull off such a feat since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the Greek superstar added 10 rebounds and four assists in nearly 38 minutes of run.
After shaking off a subdued first half, All-Star forward Khris Middleton made his presence known over the Bucks’ second half performance.
Middleton was very aggressive in looking for his own shot, whether in isolation or operating out of ball screens, and was incessantly probing for any crack in the Pelicans’ pick-and-roll defense. With 21 of his 31 total points coming over the second half, Middleton proved vital in fending off the Pelicans until the very end.
And it was that tandem of Antetokounmpo and Middleton that made life so much easier for the Bucks to manage the crunch-time minutes they played in as both teams traded leads back and forth with one another until the final minute. That pick-and-roll proved its worth every single time the Bucks rolled with it down the final stretch.
Now 5-5 in the games they’ve been without Holiday as well as picking up their first win of the season when trailing or tied going into the fourth quarter, the Bucks relied on their stars to seal the deal.
Second takeaway from win over Pelicans — Donte DiVincenzo gives Milwaukee Bucks a career night
As much as Antetokounmpo and Middleton drove the Bucks to victory Thursday night, Donte DiVincenzo was the unsung hero all the way down to the wire.
DiVincenzo posted a career-high 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting (4-for-7 from downtown, 2-for-2 from the foul line), nine assists, seven rebounds, two steals and a block in over 34-and-a-half minutes.
The third-year guard has never been shy, but DiVincenzo married his confidence with the best scoring performance of his career. DiVincenzo was knocking down shots from both three and mid-range and he continued his strong run of finishing at the basket, especially against a well-built rim protector such as Steven Adams.
It was one thing to see DiVincenzo put in career night scoring the ball, but he gave the Bucks a much-needed operator on offense, especially with the Bucks down to both point guards on their depth chart. Keeping the ball moving as well as driving and kicking it out to open Bucks shooters helped DiVincenzo match his season-high nine assists and he did so with recording one turnover.
The 24-year-old did all of that while doing all of the little things like tracking back on the glass, picking up loose balls and absolutely skied to take away this layup attempt from Pelicans guard Josh Hart midway through the second quarter.
To cap off his brilliant night, it was DiVincenzo who drew a very timely charge on Brandon Ingram during the mad scramble down the stretch after Khris Middleton’s turnover on a late inbounds play.
DiVincenzo has showcased his steady improvement all season long and it was a thrill to see the Bucks guard enjoy such a breakthrough and complete performance.
Third takeaway from win over Pelicans — Bobby Portis turns in nice spot start for Milwaukee Bucks
With D.J. Augustin away from the team due to the birth of his daughter, Bobby Portis took in his second start for the Bucks this season.
Giving more size to the starting unit, Portis immediately set the tone for the Bucks’ offense by splashing one of his two triples and crashing the glass to tip home second chance points.
Portis’ scoring largely dried up from there, but he gave the Bucks a much-needed presence down low against the Pelicans’ active frontcourt and was key in slowing down Williamson over the second half. The former Razorback even had a strong pair of rejections when protecting the rim and did well to rotate over to help out when Pelicans drivers had a head of steam towards the basket.
All in all, Portis finished with 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting (2-for-4 from three), eight rebounds, two assists and was a +19 in nearly 31-and-a-half minutes.
Budenholzer’s decision to go with more size and heft by inserting Portis in the starting lineup certainly worked out in more ways than one in the Bucks’ win last night.
The Bucks will search for their fifth straight victory when they host the L.A. Clippers for a nationally televised affair on Sunday afternoon at Fiserv Forum.