Pelicans (33-26), Bucks (33-26)
MILWAUKEE – A comeback from 18 points down in the second half. A career day by Jrue Holiday. An outcome that was not decided until literally the final buzzer of overtime. Sunday’s win in Milwaukee was jam-packed with notable events, as New Orleans posted its fifth consecutive victory, the Pelicans’ longest win streak since 2015.
New Orleans trailed 66-49 at intermission, but partly behind Holiday’s 36-point outing, the Pelicans charged back into the game, wiping out a significant deficit in short order during the third quarter. The visitors held a 38-19 edge in that period, completely changing the game. In OT, Nikola Mirotic came up with a big block of a Khris Middleton shot to preserve a two-point lead; the Pelicans ate up a ton of clock on a key possession, before the Bucks were denied on the final play of OT.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Jason Terry of Milwaukee sank a left-corner three-pointer with the Bucks trailing by two points, but Terry’s shot came a hair too late, unable to beat the OT buzzer. Rajon Rondo banked in a critical three-pointer with 1:25 left in OT, giving New Orleans a four-point lead. Rondo had to fire in order to beat the shot-clock buzzer.
PELICANS PLAYER OF THE GAME
Like his team, Holiday struggled in the first half Sunday, scoring eight points on 4/11 shooting, but he kicked into gear from there, tallying 28 points after intermission. His 36 points were two shy of a career high he set in Charlotte two seasons ago. Holiday – who is having a tremendous season from two-point range in 2017-18, but has shot poorly beyond the arc – did much of his damage on drives against the Bucks. He was 16/31 from the field, while also contributing nine rebounds and six assists.
QUOTES TO NOTE
“He kind of just took over the game, honestly. He made big play after big play, on both ends of the floor.” – Anthony Davis (27 points) on Holiday’s performance
“He’s had some great games for us, and when we needed him most (today), he went and got us baskets and made plays. The way he played on the defensive end was just as important.” – Alvin Gentry on Holiday’s valuable and timely stepping up in the second half
“Just being aggressive. I think I forced some issues and made some shots. At that point you start feeling more comfortable.” – Holiday explaining what was behind his big game after halftime
“We’re playing winning basketball. That’s what it takes to win.” – Davis on the Pelicans’ recent ability to come up with extra or hustle plays in crunch time, often swinging the outcome in their favor
BY THE NUMBERS
39.2: Davis’ scoring average during the New Orleans five-game winning streak. That number dropped from 42.3 after he “only” posted 27 points against the Bucks.
6/18: Shooting from the field by Milwaukee’s All-Star, Giannis Antetokounmpo. New Orleans did well to bottle him up at times and make him take contested shots, including around the basket.
0/7: Terry’s shooting, which wouldn’t have been particularly noteworthy except that the one shot he did make – at the end of OT – came too late to count.
16, 8, 12: Points, rebounds and assists for Rondo in a near-triple-double.