By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The Milwaukee Bucks overcame a sluggish start and built a safe separation in the second half to beat the New Orleans Pelicans, 136-111, in Fiserv Forum.
Listed as probable with left shoulder tendinopathy, Giannis Antetokounmpo chipped in a 28-point, 11-rebound double-double over 25 minutes before sitting out the fourth quarter. Coming off three straight triple-doubles in the 2024-25 NBA Regular Season, he settled with five assists and one block on Thursday.
“You want to play a game, finish what you started. I had a huge trust in my teammates that they could finish the game. I know they can finish the game in a situation like that when my coaching staff told me to go in the back and get ready for the next game,” he said in a postgame media session, referring to the bottom end of a back-to-back and a clash with the Detroit Pistons in Little Caesars Arena.
The team coached by Doc Rivers can clinch the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference playoff bracket with a win in Detroit on Friday.
“I kind of like where we are right now. We’re competing. We’re able to score the ball. We always keep our composure no matter what time and score,” the Greek Freak commented on the current team situation, heading to the 2025 Playoffs presented by Google.
“I feel like I’m having fun. If I’m having fun, I’m competing, and I’m in a good place. It doesn’t matter how many minutes I play or what’s in front of me,” he described his approach, “I just want to have fun and compete.”
Starting for the Pelicans, Croatian Karlo Matkovic lasted nearly 30 minutes, tallying a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double alongside one steal.
In Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the Indiana Pacers clinched the fourth seed in the East with a 114-112 victory versus the Cleveland Cavaliers.