NBA Results December 19th, 2022: Pelicans lose

The New Orleans Pelicans, a team that has started a bit of a slump following a long winning streak from earlier this month, hosted the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday. The Bucks, who were our new No. 1 in our NBA power rankings, won the game in a contest that was not competitive in the final possessions.

They, the Bucks, put up a double-digit spread in the game, winning by 9 points. The final score was Milwaukee 128, New Orleans 119.

Bucks @ Pelicans Monday: Antetokounmpo scores 42

With the loss, the Pelicans are now 18-12 on the season. This is a team that has lost four straight, including two to the Jazz from last week.

New Orleans seemed to be doing fine without Brandon Ingram for a short time, however, they now look like they desperately need him back. It was about a week ago when Will Guillory of The Athletic reported that Ingram would be out for another week. His, Ingram’s, return date is something Pelican backers should be watching for.

Milwaukee Bucks Summary

Meanwhile, the Bucks improved to 22-8 with the 9-point victory, a win that has to be called a quality victory. It came on the road against a team that is a very good hosting team.

Milwaukee, who has won two straight games, now has a home record of 14-3 and an away record of 8-5. The leading scorer in the game was Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks. He had 42 points in the game and 10 rebounds for a double-double.

Milwaukee will remain on the road in the days ahead. They will be at Cleveland on Wednesday and then Brooklyn on Friday. The Bucks are also a part of the Christmas Day NBA schedule. They are +3.5 underdogs with bet365 at this point against the Boston Celtics.

• Further reading: NBA Power Rankings