Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaways From Loss To Denver Nuggets

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Feb 3, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic (15) drives to the basket against Milwaukee Bucks center John Henson (31) during the second half at Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 121-117. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /

Second Best On The Glass

Although all focus has been on the Bucks’ problems in defending the three-pointer of late, there are plenty of other vulnerabilities that opposing teams can exploit. One of those was clear for all to see on Friday in the Pepsi Center.

Ranked 26th in the NBA in rebounding, the Bucks simply had no answers for the Nuggets on the glass. Denver boast the NBA’s second-best rebounding numbers, and they made that advantage pay in what was a very close game in most other departments.

As one leg of Jokic’s triple-double, the Serbian big man grabbed 13 rebounds. Kenneth Faried has been a constant fixture of trade rumors in Denver in recent years, but the Manimal showed up with 11 big rebounds of his own in this game too.

It wasn’t just the overall rebounding differential (+10 in Denver’s favor) that hurt the Bucks, as more specifically the Bucks just couldn’t box out that duo of Jokic and Faried. Denver feasted on second chance opportunities thanks to six offensive boards each for Jokic and Faried.

On the other end, the Bucks just managed six offensive rebounds in total.

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