Bucks 117, Pelicans 113: Team defends Davis, holds on for victory
New Orleans — Stopping Anthony Davis was Job 1 for the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night.
Holding the New Orleans power forward to 35 points and 15 rebounds qualified as doing that as the Bucks held off the Pelicans for a 117-113 victory at the Smoothie King Center. Milwaukee ended a string of 14 consecutive losses in New Orleans, dating to the 2003 season.
Davis scored 50 points in the Pelicans' season opener against Denver and 45 against Golden State to create a stir around the NBA. The Bucks double-teamed him, crowded him and tried to make him miserable, knowing he would be the focus of the Pelicans' offense.
New Orleans dropped to 0-4 while the Bucks evened their record at 2-2.
"We just wanted to make him work for it, and we got some big stops at the end," said Bucks center John Henson, who drew the assignment of defending Davis down the stretch.
Davis was 9 for 21 from the field and sank 17 of 18 free throws.
"The way he's playing, he's going to make shots and he did that tonight," Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. "But guys tried to make it tough on him. He touches the ball so much.
"We tried to send everybody. We call John (Henson) the closer. When you look at Davis' length, John is long. He also was keeping guys under control, trying to get them in the right spots offensively. I thought his leadership was big for us."
BOX SCORE: Bucks 117, Pelicans 113
Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 24 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, and Jabari Parker added 21 points while aggressively going to the basket.
Milwaukee also received big contributions off the bench, including a 14-point showing by rookie Malcolm Brogdon and 12 points from Michael Beasley.
"I think tonight was the first time we really trusted our offense," Brogdon said. "We stuck to the game plan. We played like a team and battled through it,"
A three-pointer by Antetokounmpo gave the Bucks a five-point lead with 1:33 left and a steal by Matthew Dellavedova helped them run some precious time off the clock.
The Pelicans had several more chances with the ball but managed only a single free throw the rest of the way.
"We did a lot better job of moving the ball," said Dellavedova, who had 11 points, eight assists and five rebounds. "For good chunks of the game, our defense was good and we trusted the help was going to be there.
"When they made their runs, we still have to work on our weak-side D. And how many assists did we have, 30? The better that ratio is, the more likely it is we're going to win."
The Bucks had 30 assists on 44 made field goals.
THREE TAKEAWAYS
No. 1 — Tony Snell looked comfortable in his third game with the Bucks, showing no effects from his ankle injury and finishing with a double-double (13 points, 10 rebounds). He was 3 for 9 from three-point range but may give Milwaukee another perimeter option.
No. 2 — Parker was 7 for 14 from the floor and 7 of 7 at the line. "That's something I've got to get used to, trying to keep the pressure up on the other team," Parker said.
No. 3 — Antetokounmpo showed confidence at a critical time in the game. He had tried to get going from behind the three-point line but was 0 for 5. He missed badly on a couple attempts but made his clutch triple with 1:33 remaining to give the Bucks a 117-112 lead.
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FROM THE STAT SHEET
» The Bucks outscored the Pelicans in the paint, 58-38.
» New Orleans was 5 of 9 from three-point range in the opening quarter but finished 4 of 17 the rest of the way.
» Snell was a plus-12 in a season-high 33 minutes.
NOTEBOOK
No Novak: Former Marquette player Steve Novak is the only player on the Bucks’ 14-man active roster not to appear in a game yet this season. And that may not change soon.
“It’s early,” Kidd said, “and there are quite a few guys ahead of him. Steve has been great in practice and during games, giving that veteran leadership.
“It’s just being patient; it’s only Game 4. It’s understanding this is a young team and a lot of young players have to play before he will.”
After the game, Brogdon credited Novak and veteran Jason Terry with helping him and the other young players on the team.
UP NEXT
Teams: Indiana Pacers (2-2) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (2-2).
When: 7 p.m. Thursday.
Where: BMO Harris Bradley Center.
About the Pacers: Point guard Jeff Teague is off to a slow start with his new team after arriving in an off-season trade with Atlanta. The Chicago Bulls scored 30 fast-break points against Indiana in a 118-101 rout of the Pacers on Saturday night at the United Center. Reserve guard Rodney Stuckey (right hamstring strain) is likely to miss the game, creating more playing time for Glenn Robinson III and C.J. Miles.