The Denver Nuggets now have back-to-back blowout losses against the Sacramento Kings and Milwaukee Bucks. This was a very forgettable game for the team and their fans. After quickly falling behind 13-2, the Nuggets caught back up to take the lead at 21-18 with 2:16 left in the first quarter. After that point, the Bucks outscored the nuggets 42-23 the rest of the half.
At the half, Nikola Jokic led the way with 23 points. That was more than half the Nuggets’ total points scored at that point. No other teammate had more than five points at halftime. The starters fought to start the third quarter, but the Bucks blew the game open. They extended to a 28-point lead at the end of three quarters and the game was ultimately over.
Nuggets Positives
In a game where there were almost no positives, Aaron Gordon played solid, especially to start the second half. He was the only Nugget that played more than 10 minutes and had a positive plus-minus. Gordon was also the only one outside Jokic to shoot over 50% on the team. His stat line was 14 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks and a steal for a solid all-around game.
Unfortunate Injuries and Poor Shooting
This was a contest that was as lopsided as they come, meaning the Nuggets had a plethora of negatives. They sustained two injuries to starters this game. Jamal Murray suffered a bilateral tibia inflammation injury while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope reaggravated his lingering right hamstring injury. Neither seem to be super serious injuries, but they do raise red flags. Hamstring injuries can linger, so the sooner KCP gets healthy, the better.
Nobody showed up to play except Jokic. When Jokic has more points in a half than the rest of the team combined, it’s more than likely a loss for the Nuggets. It was almost like there was a lid on the hoop at the Nuggets’ end of the court.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was virtually unstoppable. Antetokounmpo looked like The Incredible Hulk during this game. He shot a ridiculous 14/19 from the field, scoring 36 points and grabbing 18 rebounds. Not a single Nuggets player was able to stay in front of him and it felt like he was able to do whatever he wanted.
The Nuggets look to turn around their two-game skid against the team that blew them out on Saturday, the Sacramento Kings, when they play in Denver tomorrow.
