The Milwaukee Bucks fell to the Denver Nuggets 108-104 Sunday at Ball Arena, dropping to 17-22 despite Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 31 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds.
Bucks head coach Doc Rivers cited lineup disruptions as a key factor, saying, “It really killed our rotations in the second half… we drew up a play the first play and Myles is not even on the floor… that hurt us because now Bobby’s not in with that group with Scoot.”
Rivers praised Giannis’ effort but highlighted the team’s struggles, noting, “Giannis plays the whole fourth… he’s plus 16 tonight, AJ Green’s a plus 11… everybody else is a minus and we keep saying the same thing.”
The coach criticized execution issues, explaining, “The only other thing I thought our passing was horrific tonight… we had guys wide open and the balls are down by our ankles… really did us in… would have generated a ton of threes tonight but for our passing.”
Rivers also pointed to missed opportunities in crucial moments, saying, “Think about the layups we miss… Scoot misses a point-blank layup, Kuz misses a point-blank layup… in the last four minutes… most nights they make them, I can’t put it in for you.”
He addressed a controversial play in the final minutes, stating, “AJ getting fouled on the three he attempted… that should have been wiped off from an offensive foul… in a one-point game, those things matter.”
Rivers noted issues with offensive decision-making late in games, adding, “After that, it was a free-for-all… some of our young guys forced some threes… if you go back, one of those threes should have been wide open, maybe both, but the passes were bad.”
Regarding the team’s non-Giannis performance, Rivers said, “They switched everything and we just dribbled… it’s been an issue all year and we have to figure it out.”
Despite the loss, Rivers lauded Giannis’ leadership, emphasizing, “He’s doing everything for us… literally trying to carry our team… I don’t need to say more.”
The Nuggets overcame injuries to five top scorers, including Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, with Tim Hardaway Jr. scoring 25 points, Aaron Gordon adding 23, Peyton Watson contributing 19 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, and Zeke Nnaji recording 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Milwaukee trailed by 15 in the first half and 11 entering the fourth, but missed two game-tying threes in the final 20 seconds, allowing Denver to secure the win.
Both teams return to action Tuesday, with the Nuggets visiting the Pelicans and the Bucks hosting the Timberwolves.
