The clash between two former multiple MVP winners certainly did not disappoint! 3-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets went toe-to-toe against the 2-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. Although Jokic was putting up ridiculous numbers, and even made another NBA history, the Nuggets went cold late in the game and allowed the Bucks to seal the home Dub, 121-112.
Jokic lodged another triple-double, exactly his 27th this season after recording 32 points, 10 assists, and 14 rebounds while also shooting an efficient 13-for-16 from the field. The Serbian superstar etches his name in the plethora of basketball greats after becoming the first player to have that caliber of statline with less than 38 minutes of play.
Nikola Jokic winning his 4th MVP in 5 years is not not very far-fetched. He’s right behind OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the Nuggets reach the third seed in the West.
Denver dropped two of their last three games right after going hot with a nine-game win streak.
It would have been an even closer matchup against the Bucks had Jokic received a little bit more help from the rest of the Nuggets. Aaron Gordon and Russell Westbrook both had terrible shooting nights by going 3-14, while Michael Porter Jr. had an even more catastrophic game after going 5-22. Christian Braun secured a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double, but made inexcusable misses in the paint. Jamal Murray was the only guy who had a solid performance by dropping 20 points and dishing 5 assists.
The win should have gone to Denver. In fact, they outrebounded Milwaukee, plus they were obviously dominating the paint. However, the free throw disparity between the two teams (28 in favor of the Bucks compared to Nuggets’ 11) proved to be a crucial factor. Even though Denver did a good job containing Antetokounmpo, the Greek Freak was still able to produce monstrous numbers: 28 points and 19 rebounds. Given that Giannis is still being closely monitored after an injury, this sums up how dominant the former MVP is.
Brook Lopez also added 22 points while Damian Lillard chipped in 19. The surprising performer here is Kyle Kuzma, who was +16 against the Nuggets after an impressive 16 points, 5 assists, and 9 rebounds.
Denver and Milwaukee will meet again on March 26.
