Unmatched under the basket, demigod Giannis Antetokounmpo helps the Bucks consolidate the top spot in the East
The highlight match of today's competition day (December 20) takes place between the Bucks - the team that is at the top of the Western group and the Pelicans - the 2nd ranked team of the East.
With the home advantage, the Pelicans are eager to cut the recent 3 consecutive defeats. As for the away team, another victory will help them consolidate the top spot in the Eastern group. The force of the two teams is considered by experts to be quite balanced.
While the Pelicans lack the service of "little KD" Ingram, the Bucks also lack the Middleton trigger. The attraction of this match also comes from the clash between demigod Giannis Antetokounmpo and young talent Zion Williamson.
The first two halves were played with a rather tight match. As usual Giannis still showed his dominance in the area below the basket.
The Pelicans do not have a counterweight that can withstand breakthrough situations or attack with their back to the demigod's basket (post up). Instead, they had to trade with foul situations to force Giannis to the free-throw line.
There was no match for Giannis, but the Pelicans had the unexpected shine of striker Jonas Valanciunas. The Lithuanian Bigman was the owner of 5 3-pointers in just the first 2 innings, helping New Orleans maintain a chase against Milwaukee.
Entering the third round, the Milwaukee Bucks players suddenly accelerated, the most prominent of which was striker Brook Lopez.
As a response to the Valanciunas who made the first half, Lopez had 13 points with 3 successful long throws in the third half. This effort helped the Bucks stretch the gap to double digits.
The final round saw the effort from the Pelicans, led by CJ McCollum and Zion Williamson. However, that was not enough when the Bucks successfully preserved their advantage, going straight to the final victory with a score of 128-119 on another field.
Giannis Antetokounmpo shone brightly against Zion Williamson, completing a massive double-double with 42 points and 10 rebounds, with Brook Lopez right behind with 30 points.
Jonas Valanciunas was the Pelicans' standout player, leading the team with 37 points and 18 rebounds. CJ McCollum contributed 31 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists.
Winning this match, the Milwaukee Bucks rose to No. 1 in the Eastern standings with a record of 22 wins in 30 matches. They are temporarily ranked above the Boston Celtics thanks to less than 1 loss.
On the Pelicans side, the sublimation circuit of the top team in the West is now interrupted. From first place, they have temporarily dropped to second place after losing 4 matches in a row and currently have a record of 18-11.
In their next outing, the Bucks will go to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are in high form thanks to the excellent pitcher Donovan Mitchell. Meanwhile, the Pelicans will return to their home ground to host the San Antonio Spurs, the penultimate team in the standings.
