The Milwaukee Bucks put together a dominant all-around performance to notch their biggest regular-season win, defeating the red-hot Denver Nuggets 121-112 on Thursday night at Fiserv Forum. Brook Lopez made a strong impact on both ends, tallying 22 points while going head-to-head with Nikola Jokic. Denver’s MVP recorded a triple-double, finishing with 32 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists.
“I thought Brook was fantastic,” Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said when talking about Brook Lopez.
Doc Rivers on Brook Lopez’s 37 minutes tonight and Jokic’s game:
“I thought Brook was fantastic.”
“The shots he (Jokic) makes they look like there’s no way they can go in and his passing is something to marvel.” pic.twitter.com/kt98bt9iFG
— Scott Grodsky (@ScottGrodsky) February 28, 2025
No defender can completely neutralize Jokic in a one-on-one matchup, and while Lopez had plenty of backup, the Bucks leaned on their 7-foot-1 All-Defensive big man to challenge him at every turn. Even though Jokic notched his 27th triple-double of the season with a stellar stat line, it seemed like he was shouldering the load for Denver almost single-handedly.
The Bucks finally having an answer for Nikola Jokic
“We matched his minutes exactly with Jokic, which we don’t do a lot. The guy, that Jokic, he’s really good. He’s just really good. I mean, he made; the shots he makes. They look like there’s no way they can go in. And his passing is something to marvel. It just is. And for him to do that and us still win games against him is big for us. I thought Brook gave everything tonight,” Rivers continued.
Jokic is putting up 29.2 points per game while shooting an efficient 57.5% from the field, including an impressive 61.4% on two-pointers and 44.5% from deep on 4.5 attempts per game. On top of that, he’s averaging 12.6 rebounds and 10.4 assists, positioning himself to become the first player since Russell Westbrook in 2020-21 to average a triple-double for an entire season.
Lopez turned back the clock with an impressive offensive performance, tallying 22 points while shooting 6-of-7 from the free throw line and converting six of his 10 attempts inside the arc.
With 4:51 remaining, Lopez took on Jokic one-on-one, starting beyond the arc with a slick behind-the-back crossover from left to right. He powered his way into the paint, absorbed contact, and managed to throw down an off-balance dunk while drawing the foul. He then knocked down the free throw, extending the Bucks’ lead to 107-96.
The Bucks (33-25) have now won seven of their last ten games, securing their first victory over a top-tier team from either conference. Their In-Season Tournament title against Oklahoma City doesn’t count toward the standings, and before this win, Milwaukee was 0-8 against the top three teams in the East and 0-3 against the West’s top trio.
Denver (38-21) entered the matchup having won 10 of its last 11 games and was locked in a tie for second place in the Western Conference.
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