Antetokounmpo leads Bucks to comeback win over Pelicans

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points and 17 rebounds and the visiting Milwaukee Bucks used a third-quarter surge to pull away from the New Orleans Pelicans 120-108 Tuesday night. The Bucks trailed for most of the first half and 61-58 at halftime before outscoring the Pelicans 42-24 in the third quarter. Antetokounmpo scored 16 in the period.

Fellow All-Star Khris Middleton added 20 points, Wesley Matthews scored 17, Eric Bledsoe had 16 and Brook Lopez 12 for Milwaukee. All-Star forward Brandon Ingram led New Orleans with 32 points, rookie Zion Williamson scored 20 (although on 5-of-19 shooting), JJ Redick came off the bench to score 13 points, and Lonzo Ball had 11 points and 14 rebounds.

The Bucks scored first four points of the third quarter to take a one-point lead. The Pelicans regained the lead twice before Milwaukee scored nine consecutive points to take a 75-67 lead.

Ingram stopped the run by making a free throw, but Matthews made consecutive 3-pointers to give the Bucks an 81-68 lead. The lead grew to 19 points then New Orleans closed within 13 before Donte DiVincenzo's basket gave the Bucks a 100-85 lead at the end of the third quarter.

Williamson's layup and Josh Hart's three-point play started the fourth-quarter scoring and pulled the Pelicans within 10 points. Kyle Korver answered with a 3-pointer before New Orleans scored six straight points to get within 103-96.

The Bucks scored seven consecutive points to take a 114-100 lead with 4:55 remaining. Milwaukee swept the season series, having beaten visiting New Orleans 127-112 on Dec. 11 in a game that both Antetokounmpo and Williamson missed because of injury.

Ingram scored 13 points and made two of the Pelicans' six 3-pointers as they took a 33-26 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Bucks got as close as one point on two occasions in the second quarter, but couldn't catch up. New Orleans took a 61-58 halftime lead as Ingram and Antetokounmpo finished the half with 16 points each.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)