BOXSCORE || PHOTOS || QUOTES || VIDEOS

Pelicans (15-14), Bucks (15-11)

New Orleans entered Wednesday’s game at .500 overall, as well as at home and on the road. Keeping with that theme, in a home contest vs. Milwaukee, the score was even deep into the fourth quarter. Finally, the Pelicans gained some separation in the final minutes, outplaying the Bucks down the stretch to move to 15-14 overall and 8-7 in the Smoothie King Center.

New Orleans shot 56 percent from the field and went 13/25 from three-point range, overcoming its 21 turnovers.

The Pelicans led just 102-101 with 5:34 remaining, but then scored the next six points to gain a small cushion. The Bucks cut their deficit back down to three, but Anthony Davis sank an 18-foot jumper and E’Twaun Moore threw down a lefty dunk to put New Orleans back in front 112-105 with less than two minutes remaining.

IT WAS OVER WHEN…

Jameer Nelson made the biggest defensive play of the game, stealing a Milwaukee pass with 43 seconds left, then DeMarcus Cousins drained a left-wing three-pointer to make it 115-108 with only 22 ticks left.

PELICANS PLAYER OF THE GAME

Cousins (26 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists, but nine turnovers) was the in-arena choice for team MVP, but Moore turned in another super-efficient performance offensively. Adding to the most productive stretch of his NBA career, the starting small forward scored 21 points while only taking 11 shots from the field. The league’s best three-point shooter in the month of December added to his numbers in that category as well, going 4/6. He also posted five rebounds and four assists.

QUOTES TO NOTE

“We just kept fighting. Our determination. At the end, we made more 50-50 plays, we hustled and that’s something we have to continue to do to win.” – Moore on WRNO postgame radio, when asked what he’ll remember most from Wednesday’s game

“We just had to resist his drives and try to be a little bit more physical with him.” – Moore on New Orleans doing a better job against Giannis Antetokounmpo in the second half (11 points) than in the first half (21 points)

“Ball movement and always looking for the best shot. I think we’re clicking well offensively. We know every possession counts.” – Cousins on why the New Orleans offense has been so good in recent weeks

“Where the NBA is now, it’s about high-scoring games. Usually if you can get stops at a decent rate – you don’t even have to be great – you’ll most likely win the game.”

BY THE NUMBERS

3: Consecutive games in which New Orleans has shot over 50 percent from three-point range, this time going 13/25. The Pelicans did not achieve that statistical feat once in the first 26 games of the regular season, but have done it all three games since Sunday vs. Philadelphia.

10/16: Identical shooting from the field for both Cousins and Anthony Davis, who looked good in his return to action after being sidelined Monday at Houston.

8: Biggest lead for either team in a closely-contested interconference matchup. Milwaukee was up eight; New Orleans held a seven-point lead.

7: Zatarain’s is donating meals to the Second Harvest Food Bank for every Pelicans dunk at home games this season. New Orleans threw down seven slams vs. Milwaukee.