Milwaukee Bucks: 3 things to watch for in Denver Nuggets’ Friday visit

Responding defensively

For as impressive as scoring 151 points without Giannis Antetokounmpo was in the Bucks’ last outing, even against the turnstile that is the Washington Wizards, there was considerably less to take pride in on the defensive side of the floor.

The Bucks gave up 131 points to the Wizards, and allowed Bradley Beal to go off for 47 points. It goes without saying that Antetokounmpo is just as important to the defense as he is the offense, and his absence will certainly have played into the Bucks being below par on that end.

Still, any sense of complacency kicking in or Milwaukee becoming a little lackadaisical in their approach on that end undoubtedly won’t fly with head coach Mike Budenholzer.

The Nuggets aren’t quite as proficient offensively as they were a year ago, but with Nikola Jokic pulling the strings, they do have the potential to really find their stride on that end of the floor at any given moment.

Expect a much stingier showing from the Bucks’ defense on Friday, and if they can deliver that, they should have a great chance to come away with a win.

The Bucks’ clash with the Nuggets will tip-off at 7pm CT on Friday night at Fiserv Forum.