Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points and 12 rebounds and the host Milwaukee Bucks rode a major offensive turnaround to a 141-117 rout over the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night in a matchup of teams completing sets of back-to-back games.
Three teammates joined Antetokounmpo with at least 20 points as Damian Lillard added 26, Brook Lopez had 24 and Bobby Portis scored 20 off the bench. Cameron Payne added 11 off the bench and the Bucks scored 41 more points than they had in a 12-point loss to Cleveland on Friday.
They scored more than 35 points in each of the first three quarters to improve to 2-1 under interim head coach Joe Prunty as Doc Rivers prepares to take over as head coach.
Brandon Ingram scored 26, Zion Williamson had 23, Jonas Valanciunas had 13 points and 10 rebounds and Larry Nance Jr. scored 10 for the Pelicans, who lost at home to Oklahoma City 107-83 on Friday. They were beginning a four-game road trip and a stretch in which eight of nine games are on the road.
Antetokounmpo scored 12 points as the Bucks started the third quarter with a 17-4 run that increased their lead to 92-67.
Milwaukee surpassed its point total in Friday’s loss when Lillard made two free throws with 3:33 left in the third quarter.
The Pelicans started fast, taking an 11-5 lead before the score was tied at 15 and 17.
The Bucks scored the next seven points and led by eight points on three occasions before Williamson converted a three-point play and Ingram made a 3-pointer, leaving Milwaukee with a 36-32 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Portis scored nine points and Payne’s 3-pointer pushed the lead to 60-47 early in the second quarter.
Ingram and Herbert Jones Jr. scored five points each to help New Orleans trim the lead to 63-57.
Lopez and Lillard made consecutive 3-pointers to increase the lead to 12 and the Bucks maintained that margin with a 75-63 halftime lead.
–Field Level Media
