NBA: Without biggest star, Bucks look to keep rolling against Pelicans

The Milwaukee Bucks are focusing on on-court performance to ease concerns about the health and uncertain future of their superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Bucks, playing without the two-time NBA MVP, aim for their sixth win in seven games on Friday when they return from the All-Star break to face the New Orleans Pelicans on the road.

Antetokounmpo has been sidelined since Jan. 23 with a strained right calf and was initially expected to miss four to six weeks. Friday marks exactly four weeks since his injury.

"I'm healthy today, I just got to check the boxes," Antetokounmpo said on NBA Today earlier this week. "I gotta play 1-on-1, 3-on-3, 5-on-5. The moment I do that, that can be the next game."

The Bucks struggled at first without Antetokounmpo, losing their first three games. But they have recovered well in recent contests, including a 141-137 overtime win against New Orleans on Feb. 4 in Milwaukee.

Ryan Rollins scored 27 points and AJ Green added 20 to help Milwaukee overcome a career-high 44-point performance from Pelicans’ Trey Murphy III, who made a franchise-record 12 three-pointers.

In their final game before the break, the Bucks spread the scoring load, with seven players reaching double digits in a 110-93 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Feb. 12. Ousmane Dieng notched his first career double-double, posting a season-high 19 points and 11 rebounds against his former team. Green added 17 points, while Bobby Portis contributed 15 points and 12 rebounds.

"We're playing for Milwaukee," Portis told Sirius XM NBA Radio. "I take pride in being a Buck. I love the city of Milwaukee. They call me the mayor of Milwaukee."

The Pelicans bounced back from their overtime loss to the Bucks by winning two of their final three games before the All-Star break. Murphy, who leads the team with 22.1 points per game, scored 19 points in New Orleans’ 123-111 loss to the Miami Heat on Feb. 11 before leaving with soreness in his right shoulder. He is expected to play Friday.

Rookies Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen have also made significant contributions this season. Fears averages 13.2 points per game, while Queen averages 12.2 points, leading the team in rebounds (7.2) and assists (4.1). Queen also helped Team Vince defeat Fears’ Team Melo in the NBA Rising Stars title game.

"We're gonna come back a lot more confident," Fears said on the Pelicans podcast. "We're gonna be around our teammates. We're just gonna continue to keep working, and it's going to open our eyes for sure."

Queen added: "I'm excited to come back. We've got three home games. Win those three and get back on the right track."

—Field Level Media/Reuters