The Bucks couldn’t find a way to beat the Nuggets—even without Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Cameron Johnson, and Christian Braun—for the second time this season, losing 102-100. It’s Milwaukee’s second straight loss and sixth in their last eight games. Giannis had 22 points to lead the Bucks again, going 14/16 from the line, while Rollins added 21 points. Julian Strawther led Denver with 20 points.
Game Recap
The Bucks’ first-quarter turnover issues hurt them once again tonight. After turning
the ball over eight times against OKC, they proceeded to turn it over five times in the first 8:36 of the frame. Those turnovers led to a 6-0 Nuggets run to break a 12-12 tie, forcing a timeout from Doc Rivers. Milwaukee finally stopped turning the ball over and got back into the game. Cole Anthony checked in and sort of looked like he did in the first week of the season, scoring the final seven points for the Bucks to tie the game heading into the second quarter at 21 apiece.
With the Bucks trailing in the early goings of the second quarter, they turned to their veterans, Kyle Kuzma and Bobby Portis, to get them back on track. Kuzma scored a quick three points, and Bobby kept up his hot shooting with a three to put Milwaukee up by two. The Bucks were able to extend their edge to five points, but both teams seemingly had a lid on the basket from there on out. Milwaukee went scoreless for nearly five minutes, allowing the Nuggets to take a five-point lead of their own. Myles Turner and Giannis fought back, helping to tie the game back up for the Bucks, but the offense went cold again after that. Denver went on a 6-0 run to end the quarter, sending Milwaukee to the locker room at the break down 48-42.
The Nuggets have received significant contributions from their bench all season, which they needed because Aaron Gordon would play no further part after the first half. Ergo, it was Julian Strawther who picked up the slack for Denver, scoring 13 of their first 16 points. Milwaukee was able to match Denver’s scoring in the early going, but after they got it within one point, the Nuggets went on a 14-2 run to take the first double-digit lead of the game—Bucks timeout. Things did not improve much for Milwaukee, though, with the Nuggets outscoring them 10-8 to end the quarter. That sent the Bucks into the fourth quarter trailing by double figures for the fourth time in their last five, down 78-63.
Denver kept adding insult to injury to start the fourth, ballooning their lead to 23 points just a minute and a half in. The Bucks did trim it down to 15 points with just over eight minutes to go, but the Nuggets responded with a 7-4 burst to go back up by 18 with just over five minutes left. However, the Bucks showed signs of life from that point, chipping away brick by brick to go on a 20-4 run; they got all the way back within two points with 29 seconds left! Tim Hardaway Jr. broke the drought, though, getting fouled on a mid-range jumper and drilling both free throws with 10.4 seconds on the clock, putting the Nuggets back up by four. Rollins played hero again, drilling a step-back three to bring them back within one. Jalen Pickett went to the line with 4.5 seconds left and hit the first, but then missed the second. With no timeouts, the Bucks had to move; Kuzma got off a half-court heave that narrowly missed.
Stat That Stood Out
21-8. That was the difference in fast-break points between the Nuggets and the Bucks, despite Milwaukee possessing one of the best fast-break players of all time in Giannis. The Bucks don’t run in transition much, and when they did tonight, they either missed shots or turned the ball over.
