Giannis Antetokounmpo delivered a dominant performance as the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Denver Nuggets 121-112 on Thursday night.
The two-time MVP recorded 28 points, a season-high 19 rebounds, and seven assists to lead Milwaukee past Denver in their first meeting of the season.
Nikola Jokic countered with 32 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists, marking his 27th triple-double in 53 games this season. However, his efforts weren’t enough to overcome the Bucks’ strong team performance.
Brook Lopez contributed 22 points, while Damian Lillard added 19, Kyle Kuzma 16, and Gary Trent Jr. 15 for Milwaukee. The Bucks have now won five of their last six games.
Jamal Murray finished with 20 points for the Nuggets, who have lost two of their last three games after a previous nine-game winning streak.
The Bucks used a crucial fourth-quarter surge to seize control, outscoring Denver in the first five minutes while Antetokounmpo was on the bench. A.J. Green hit key three-pointers during that stretch to help extend Milwaukee’s lead.
Denver made a late push, cutting a 12-point deficit to five with two minutes left, but couldn’t complete the comeback.
Milwaukee took advantage of a major disparity at the free-throw line, making 23 of 28 attempts, while the Nuggets managed only 9 of 11.
Antetokounmpo, who missed six straight games before the All-Star break due to a calf strain, played a crucial role despite ongoing workload management.
He knocked down a rare three-pointer in the third quarter to give the Bucks a 67-66 lead and followed it up with a dunk off a Taurean Prince steal, capping a 12-4 run that gave Milwaukee control.
Jokic remained highly efficient, shooting 13 of 16 from the field, but Denver struggled with outside shooting, hitting just 9 of 34 from deep.
Michael Porter Jr. had a tough night, scoring 12 points on 5-of-22 shooting, including 2 of 11 from beyond the arc.
Russell Westbrook provided a spark off the Nuggets’ bench with 10 points, six rebounds, and five assists, while Julian Strawther added 12 points.
