The Denver Nuggets came into their matchup with the 9-3 Milwaukee Bucks looking to break their first losing streak of the 2018-19 season. After back-to-back losses to the Memphis Grizzlies and Brooklyn Nets, the goal for Denver was to avoid a three-game skid.
Unfortunately, the Nuggets lost to the Bucks even after battling back time and time again. They were unable to keep the Bucks from hitting contested shots and, without Monte Morris, the offense struggled to generate open looks. Denver lost to the Bucks by a score of 121-114.
The first quarter began exactly how the Nuggets had hoped with the insertion of Juancho Hernangomez into the starting lineup. There was endless amounts of space to work with and it allowed Denver’s 3-point shooting to finally become a weapon once again. On the defensive end of the floor, the Nuggets were playing with tons of urgency and tenacity. They began the game by forcing a shot-clock violation, but even with tons of aggression, the Bucks were still able score efficiently.
By the time the first quarter had ended, the Nuggets were able to hit six 3-point shots en route to a 35-33 lead over the Bucks at the end of the first quarter. Both Paul Millsap and Nikola Jokic finished the quarter with identical stat-lines of 10 points, two rebounds, and two assists.
The bench unit for Denver came in at the end of the first quarter and continued to keep the offensive and defensive pressure on the Bucks until the starters returned halfway though the second frame. The reserves were led by Monte Morris as usual as he continued to play mistake-free basketball while being an absolute pest on defense. Morris, who is the league-leader in assist-to-turnover ratio, continued to create great plays for his teammates as he finished the first half with six assists against zero turnovers.
Once the starters returned, it was Millsap who took control of the Nuggets offense. By the time that the first-half buzzer sounded, Millsap had five-made threes and led the Nuggets in scoring with 23 points on 5-of-6 shooting from 3-point distance. Unfortunately, the Bucks offense was also able to score at will and Denver went into halftime with a 63-59 deficit.
The 3-point battle between the Bucks and the Nuggets continued in the third quarter as each team traded buckets with one another. Jokic began the third quarter just as he did the first quarter — with a made 3-pointer from the top of the key.
That 3-pointer was a catalyst for Jokic. Once that shot fell, Jokic turned up the intensity to an entirely different level. He was flying around on defense, hitting 3-pointers at will, drawing fouls, and even blocked a Giannis dunk attempt at the rim resulting in a jump ball.
Then, the Bucks went on an 11-0 run that led Nuggets head coach Michael Malone to call a timeout. Every time the Nuggets fought back, the Bucks were able to respond. Denver was playing determined defense, but Milwaukee continued hitting 3-pointer after 3-pointer regardless of how contested the shot was. The Bucks hot shooting was led by none other than Brook Lopez, who tied his career-high in 3-pointers made in the third quarter when he hit his seventh shot from deep.
Even with the 3-point bombardment from the Bucks, the Nuggets were able to keep themselves within striking distance. Gary Harris was able to hit a 3-pointer, Mason Plumlee played strong defense on Giannis, but it was not enough to cut into the Bucks lead. By the time that the quarter had ended, Denver trailed 99-88.
The start of the fourth quarter was owned by Malik Beasley and Trey Lyles who combined for 11 points in the first 1:48 of the final quarter to bring Denver back within just two points. The big reason why both Beasley and Lyles were able to score so effectively was because Morris continued to put them in advantageous situations over and over again.
Morris’ impact on the game cannot be understated. His defense was great, his playmaking was better, and he did not make a single mistake all night. He continued to keep the Nuggets playing song basketball and kept a feeling of calmness prevalent. Morris finished the game with five points to go with a0 assists without committing a single turnover.
By the time that Malone went back to his starting lineup, the bench unit had given the Nuggets a four-point lead thanks to a 21-6 run to begin the fourth quarter. Not enough can be said about the terrific play of the Nuggets bench unit. They have been an absolute weapon all season.
Once the starters retuned, the game turned into a heavyweight battle. Each team continued to throw punch after punch and traded leads over and over again. The Nuggets offense began sputtering without the playmaking that Morris provided and the Bucks continued making contested jump shots which led to the Nuggets demise as they lost their third-straight game of the season and fell to 9-4 on the year.
Millsap led the Nuggets in scoring with 25 points on five made 3-point shots to go with eight rebounds and six assists in 30 minutes played. Jokic also had a strong offensive performance with 20 points, six rebounds, and six assists.
Next, Denver will stay in the friendly confines of the Pepsi Center and will take on the Houston Rockets at 7 p.m. MST.
