Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaways from 134-123 loss to Denver Nuggets
By Adam McGee
Dazzling Denver
For as much as a lot of the focus on this game in the Bucks’ community will likely zero in on a disastrous defensive performance from Milwaukee, it would seem disingenuous to not give credit where it’s due for what was an offensive display of historic proportions.
The Nuggets are a team capable of offensive brilliance on a par with the likes of the Rockets and Warriors, it just doesn’t come consistently enough to elevate them into the same bracket as those teams.
What Denver do boast is a unique weapon in the form of Jokic, though. The Serbian star is one of the most gifted and instinctive passers in the NBA, and having a player like that at the center position opens up the floor for the other four guys.
That played out on Thursday as it was no coincidence that on a night when Jokic distributed the ball at his supreme best, his 17 assists, also matched up with 24 made three-pointers for the Nuggets (i.e. the most in a single game this season and the second most in NBA history).
Yet even with high quality looks created by an offense and gifted by a defense, the onus still falls on players knocking down their shots and the Nuggets managed to do that on Thursday.
Denver’s starting five of Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Will Barton, Wilson Chandler and Jokic all shot better than 50 percent from deep at the Bradley Center, combining to shoot 20-of-29 from distance (68.9 percent).
There’s a point when you have to just tip your hat to outstanding offense, and that’s exactly what the Nuggets produced on Thursday.
Next: Milwaukee Bucks: Sterling Brown earning his minutes
The Bucks will next be in action after the All-Star break when they travel to Canada to face the Toronto Raptors on February 23.