Grades and Reaction to Milwaukee Bucks 103-102 Loss to Denver Nuggets

Nov 11, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Emmanuel Mudiay (0) and Milwaukee Bucks center Greg Monroe (15) battle for a loose ball during the second half at Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 103-102. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

For the second consecutive game the Milwaukee Bucks held a sizable first half lead. But just like Tuesday night, a disastrous third quarter changed the Bucks fortunes.

The young Bucks saw an eleven point halftime lead dissolve right before their eyes as the Denver Nuggets rolled out a 34-16 third quarter.

The fourth quarter started as poorly as the third ended, but a monster fourteen point outburst from Jerryd Bayless gave the Bucks a chance late.

But a way-too-easy put-back layup from Kenneth Faried in the game’s closing seconds gave the Nuggets the go-ahead basket with five seconds left.

The Bucks responded with a Khris Middleton twirling baseline jumper thingy that almost went down, but ultimately rimmed out, sending the Bucks to their second straight loss.

It was a night of ups and downs for the young Bucks. The sort you should neither get too high or too low about.

They put up 64 points in the first half for goodness sake!

They fought back with their backs against the wall, too.

These are good things.

But despite their earnest effort late, their biggest weakness lashed up and bit their ankles yet again: rebounding.

These sorts of games should be expected from young teams. Their propensity to literally shut down offensively for long periods is a symptom of that youth.

But don’t expect the Bucks to pity themselves over inexperience. Their opponents won’t.

For now this loss is just another “let’s hope they learn from it” defeat.

Let’s take a deeper look at the Bucks performance in Denver with our Bucks grades and reactions.

Next: Reactions: The Good