Bucks vs. Pelicans: The Big Toughie

Stephen Lew-USA TODAY SportsTrying to atone for a blown fourth-quarter lead on Tuesday, the Bucks couldn’t dig out of a first-half hole despite a solid defensive effort in the second half, losing to the Pelicans 107-100 in New Orleans last night. Giannis Antetokounmpo led all scorers with 32 while Damian Lillard and Malik Beasley added 20 of their own, but those were the only Bucks over seven points. The Pelicans had five in double figures, topped by Zion Williamson with 28 and C.J. McCollum with 25.

Game Summary

After both sides traded makes, then misses in the opening minutes, a 9-2 Bucks run forced Pelicans head coach Willie Green to call a timeout down five. His guys then used Milwaukee…