Giannis vs Zion Williamson: Bucks, Pelicans' stars exchange jerseys; WATCH

With the Milwaukee Bucks facing the New Orleans Pelicans, fans had the epic Giannis vs Zion Williamson matchup to look forward to. As the Bucks won 129-127, fans witnessed a game filled with highlight moments. Moreover, both players exchanged jerseys on the court later on. Fans loved the interaction, reacting on Twitter and other social media sites. 

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Giannis vs Zion Williamson: stars exchange jerseys after Bucks vs Pelicans game

Known for their strength on the court, both Giannis and Williamson delivered the game everyone had been waiting for. Both players also ended up showing respect for each other, exchanging jerseys. The moment was captured on cameras and the video was shared online. 

While Giannis is struggling to score as efficiently as he had been for the past two seasons, the Bucks are no longer leading the league like last year. Williamson, on the other hand, is slowly becoming a centrepiece of the Pelicans roster, already known for his highlight dunks and plays. 

After not playing enough last year, Williamson has been stepping up. Second year in the league, and Williamson already has an All-Star spot confirmed. The team, however, are 11th in the Western Conference. 

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NBA scores: Pelicans vs Bucks highlights

For the Bucks' victory, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 38 points, while Khris Middleton pitched in with 31 points. After a losing streak earlier this season, the Bucks are somewhat back on track, registering their fourth win. 

Zion Williamson added 34 points for the Pelicans. Brandon Ingram scored 23 points. The team had been on a two-game winning streak before this contest.

Per reports, the Bucks have won their last three games with a 17.7 points average. Giannis, in those games, dropped 34.7 points, 15 rebounds and 6.7 assists. “Last two years, we were beating teams by 15, by 20, by 30, but at the end of the day, that did not make us better," Giannis said. "It helps you in the long run, we build good habits and hopefully it can help us in the playoffs". 

The game on Thursday night (Friday IST), came with a lot of lead changes, which included 15 ties. 

"I thought we got some really good looks down the stretch, passed up two good looks, I thought but had some other good looks that could have gone down," Pelicans head coach Stan Van Gundy said. "I don’t think down the stretch that we were having trouble getting shots". 

The Bucks were also without guard Jrue Holiday, who has missed his 10th straight game. 

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NBA All-Star game schedule

• Date and Time: March 7, 8:00 PM EST (March 8, 6:30 AM IST)
• Venue: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, USA.

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(Image credits: Milwaukee Bucks Instagram)