Giannis Antetokounmpo went just over the 32-minute limit that Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers is trying to keep his star under versus the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night. Rivers is trying to cap Antetokounmpo’s minutes to prevent the two-time NBA MVP from aggravating a left calf strain.
Playing 32 minutes and 37 seconds, Antetokounmpo tallied 28 points, 19 rebounds and seven assists in a 121-112 win over Denver at Fiserv Forum. He was even on the bench as the Bucks began to pull away, eventually building a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter.
Denver cut the margin to 111-106 with 2:20 remaining in the game, but Antetokounmpo drew a foul after grabbing an offensive rebound and hit two free throws to put Milwaukee on top by seven. He followed with a jumper after a Nuggets turnover to give the Bucks a 115-106 lead.
Brook Lopez followed Antetokounmpo with 22 points, while Damian Lillard scored 19 and Kyle Kuzma added 16. The Bucks have won five of six games and eight of their past 10. Milwaukee improved to 33-25, staying a half-game ahead of the surging Detroit Pistons for the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference.
In a matchup of multiple MVP winners, Nikola Jokić notched his 27th triple-double of the season with 32 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists. He shot 13-of-16 from the floor.
Jamal Murray added 20 points, followed by Christian Braun‘s 13 points and 10 rebounds as Denver fell to 38-21, taking their second loss in the past three games after winning nine in a row. The Nuggets dropped a half-game behind the Memphis Grizzlies to the No. 3 spot in the West. Milwaukee had a 28-11 advantage in free throws, a point of irritation for Denver coach Michael Malone in the fourth quarter.
The Bucks are off until Saturday when they visit the Dallas Mavericks. Denver plays the second end of a back-to-back on Friday, continuing their four-game road trip versus the Pistons.
