Panzura postgame wrap: Pelicans 131, Bucks 126

New Orleans figured to need some superhuman performances to beat an elite opponent Friday, but that’s exactly what the Pelicans received. Eric Bledsoe and Lonzo Ball both tied their career high in three-pointers by draining seven apiece; Steven Adams approached a career high in rebounds with 20; Zion Williamson dished a career-best seven assists. As a team, New Orleans tied its franchise record by draining 21 three-pointers.

On a day when the pregame headlines understandably focused on Jrue Holiday’s return to New Orleans – where he spent the previous seven seasons – Bledsoe and the Pelicans enjoyed a superb night against Milwaukee, Bledsoe’s former team.

New Orleans led by 23 at the halftime break, went up by as many as 29 and staved off a second-half Milwaukee push to prevail on national TV.

IT WAS OVER WHEN…

Brandon Ingram sank one free throw with 12 seconds left, making it a three-possession game. On the previous play, Milwaukee had the ball down by six, but Holiday’s drive to the rim resulted in a turnover, after the Bucks had tried to squeeze off a three-point attempt.

PELICANS PLAYER OF THE GAME

Lonzo Ball was a game-time decision due to an ankle sprain, but Ball ended up playing and that turned out to be very beneficial for both he and his team. He was red-hot from the arc all game, finishing 7/13 on three-pointers and depositing 27 points, two shy of his career high in scoring.

BY THE NUMBERS

26-24: New Orleans bench scoring advantage, led by 15 points from Josh Hart.

14/27: Combined three-point shooting by Bledsoe and Ball, the most treys by a New Orleans starting backcourt in team history, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

Revisiting three keys to victory

KEEP IT MOVING

You could not have asked for much more, as the Pelicans moved the ball and piled up the assists, setting a season high with 32 in the stat.

STEER THE DEER

New Orleans made the NBA’s best offense look stunningly mortal at times, particularly in the first two-plus quarters. Milwaukee warmed up later and finished at 50 percent from the field, but the slow start dug a big hole.

THIRD VS. THE HERD

The dreaded third quarter struck again. New Orleans lost the third period for a seventh consecutive game, this time by a 44-33 margin to Milwaukee. The Bucks had scored just 45 points in Friday’s entire first half.