Milwaukee Bucks: 3 keys to victory when hosting Denver Nuggets
By Dalton Sell
Second key to victory when hosting Denver Nuggets — Milwaukee Bucks must win the 3-point battle
For better or worse, 3-point shooting has been a recurring topic of discussion for the Bucks this season. As it was in the first matchup, shooting from the perimeter will play a massive part in this game, as these are two of the best teams shooting the long ball in the association.
Milwaukee (39.4 percent) and Denver (38.7 percent) are fourth and fifth respectively in 3-point percentage this season as both teams like it let it fly from behind the arc with regularity. Both teams are top-tier when it comes to shooting, but they are on entirely different ends of the spectrum when it comes to defending such shots.
Denver has one of the better perimeter defenses in the league and are letting their opponents hit just 35.8 percent of their shots from deep, the 10th best mark in the league. The Nuggets have a handful of gritty defenders such as Will Barton III, Garry Harris, and JaMychal Green that have helped keep their opponents in check defensively.
On the other hand, the Bucks have not had much success defending the perimeter this season, ranking 24th in opponent 3-point percentage at 37.8 percent. Tightening up their defense against one of the best shooting teams in the association will be crucial for Milwaukee.
They have been better in their last three games, allowing their opponents to convert on just 33.6 percent of their attempts from deep. Credit for that goes to the team’s willingness to adjust defensively and try new schemes, and hopefully that carries over into this game before things get out of hand.