Bucks Roll Past Pelicans Without Giannis 139-118

New Orleans—Playing without Giannis Antetokounmpo for a full month, the Milwaukee Bucks nonetheless authored their most emphatic statement of the season, dismantling the New Orleans Pelicans 139-118 on Friday night at the Smoothie King Center. The victory—Milwaukee’s third straight and sixth in seven games—lifted the Bucks to 24-30 and kept postseason math simple heading into the season’s final stretch.

Ryan Rollins supplied the early fireworks, canning seven three-pointers on his way to a career-high 27 points. The guard added six assists, four steals, and two blocks, setting the defensive tone while orchestrating an offense that shot 59.8 percent from the floor. Rollins’ seven triples matched a personal best and equaled the Pelicans’ entire output from beyond the arc.

Cam Thomas, returning to his home state, needed only 21 minutes off the bench to torch his former neighbors for 27 points. Kevin Porter Jr. complemented the onslaught with 25 points, and Bobby Portis contributed 17 points and 11 rebounds as Milwaukee’s reserves outscored New Orleans’ bench 64-38.

The Bucks broke the game open in the fourth quarter, turning a six-point edge into a 21-point laugher. After Zion Williamson’s layup trimmed the deficit to 108-102 with 10:28 remaining, Milwaukee ripped off a 14-4 surge capped by Pete Nance’s second triple of the stretch, silencing the home crowd for good.

Williamson finished with a game-high 32 points, but New Orleans shot just 4-of-25 from deep and was outscored 36-22 in the final period. Missing leading scorer Trey Murphy III (sore right shoulder), the Pelicans dropped their fourth straight and fell to 15-42, cementing their place at the bottom of the Western Conference.

Milwaukee, meanwhile, improved to 3-4 since Antetokounmpo was sidelined January 23 with a strained right calf. The two-time MVP indicated this week he is “healthy today” and must only “check the boxes” before rejoining the lineup. Until then, the Bucks will lean on the depth that has carried them within striking distance of the playoff bracket.

Milwaukee returns home Sunday to face Toronto, seeking a fourth consecutive win. New Orleans hosts Philadelphia on the second night of a back-to-back, hoping to halt a slide that has left little to salvage from an already-lost campaign.