Injuries cripple both squads as the New Orleans Pelicans host the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night.
The All-Star break is officially over as the NBA returned to action on Thursday night. The New Orleans Pelicans had a little bit longer off as their return to the court will be on Friday night against the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Pelicans have won two of their last three games. The Bucks have won three of their last four. Both teams are 5-5 in their last 10 games.
This should be a tightly-contested matchup as both teams deal with injuries. Milwaukee won the first meeting of these two squads at the beginning of the month in a matchup that went to overtime.
Here is a quick rundown of important information to know before the game tips off on Friday:
When is New Orleans Pelicans vs. Milwaukee Bucks?
Date: Friday, February 20, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM CT
Location: Smoothie King Center (New Orleans, LA)
How to Watch New Orleans Pelicans vs. Milwaukee Bucks
Streaming: Pelicans+, NBA League Pass, NBA TV
TV Channel: Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network
Local Radio: WWL 870 AM
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Milwaukee Bucks Betting Lines
Moneyline: NO -180
Spread: NO -4.5
Over/Under: 223.5
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Milwaukee Bucks Injury Updates
The Pelicans will be without Trey Murphy, Micah Peavy, Yves Missi, Dejounte Murray, Trey Alexander and Hunter Dickinson in this game.
Murphy hurt his shoulder against the Miami Heat and is looking to be back within a couple of games. Peavy and Missi both missed that last game and don't have exact timelines for their returns, but their injuries don't seem too major.
All eyes are on when Murray will finally return to the lineup, as it should happen soon, but there is no exact update yet.
The Bucks are battling their own injuries with Myles Turner, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Alex Antetokounmpo and Taurean Prince all out.
Turner being out is the new big worry for Milwaukee. Without both Antetokounmpo and him, their size is massively hurt. They did win their last game 110-93 without them, against the Oklahoma City Thunder, nonetheless.
The center did damage the last time the two squads met, putting up 16 points, nine rebounds and two blocks on 7-of-11 from the field.
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