Milwaukee Bucks: Grades from 134-123 loss to Denver Nuggets
By Bob Polglaze
The Milwaukee Bucks showed little resistance to the Denver Nuggets’ high-powered offense in a disappointing loss on Thursday night.
The Milwaukee Bucks suffered a loss to the Denver Nuggets on Thursday in a game that did not feature much defense. Although the Bucks fought to draw close near the end of the third quarter, the Nuggets eventually pulled away and never surrendered that lead.
On the night, the Nuggets hit 24-of-40 three-point attempts (good for 60 percent) on their way to a 130.5 offensive rating for the game. The three-pointers allowed are a franchise record by the Bucks and one make away from the NBA-record set by the Cleveland Cavaliers last year.
The Bucks posted a very respectable 119.8 offensive rating on the night, even while hitting only 9-of-26 from deep, but their inability to get stops limited their chance to compete with the Nuggets. They led briefly in the second quarter, but the Nuggets quickly gained control of the game and did not trail the rest of the way.
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The loss dropped the Bucks to a 32-25 record heading into the All-Star break, good for sixth in the Eastern Conference. This leaves them just a half game behind the Indiana Pacers and leading the Philadelphia 76ers by one game.
Considering this, let’s take a look at the performances from the players, coach, and opposition on the night
(Note: other than Giannis Antetokounmpo, each player has been bumped down half of a letter grade due to the defensive performance tonight. If you get this close to giving up history, your grade suffers. Rules are rules).