Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo scores 50 points in win over Pelicans

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 50 points during Sunday’s 135-110 win over the Pelicans. Here’s what you need to know:

Earlier this month, Antetokounmpo scored a single-game career-high 55 points in a victory over the Wizards.
Antetokounmpo added a game-high 13 rebounds, as well as four assists, in Sunday’s win.
He’s now among just 26 NBA players who have scored 50 or more points at least five times.
The Bucks are third in the Eastern Conference with a 33-17 record, while the Pelicans (26-25) sit eighth in the Western Conference after dropping their last eight games.

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

How Giannis climbed to 50

It took less than three and a half minutes for the Bucks to jump out to a 12-2 lead Sunday night. By the time Pelicans coach Willie Green took a timeout, Antetokounmpo had already scored seven points, which set the tone for the rest of his evening. He was relentless in attacking a shorthanded Pelicans roster and kept the pressure on all night. With 44 points late in the game, Antetokounmpo even showed off some of the lesser-used parts of his game and knocked down 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to get himself to 50 points for the second time this season. — Nehm

Bucks finding their rhythm

After miring their way through the first half of the season, the Bucks have found their offensive rhythm and scored 130 or more points in five of their last seven games. Three-time All-Star Khris Middleton has played limited minutes off the bench in the last four games and provided a real boost to the Bucks’ bench units. With Middleton and Joe Ingles, the Bucks can have multiple playmakers on the floor at all times to fuel their shooters, resulting in an offensive explosion. — Nehm