Nikola Jokic’s monstrous triple-double powered the Denver Nuggets to a thrilling 113-107 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, spoiling Doc Rivers’ debut as their new head coach.
Despite early struggles and a 13-point deficit, the Nuggets roared back behind Jokic’s 25 points, 16 rebounds, and 12 assists, and Jamal Murray’s clutch 14-point fourth quarter.
Rivers, taking over after Adrian Griffin’s departure, implemented a strong defensive scheme, but it wasn’t enough to contain the Joker.
Denver’s perimeter shooting woes (4-18) were offset by Milwaukee’s own struggles (16-39) from beyond the arc.
The Bucks started hot, grabbing the first seven points and leading 26-13 thanks to Khris Middleton’s early surge.
However, Jokic sparked the Nuggets’ comeback, shrinking the deficit to one before DeAndre Jordan momentarily put Milwaukee back ahead.
The second quarter saw Denver open a four-point lead, but the Bucks quickly roared back while Jokic rested. Damian Lillard briefly put Milwaukee ahead by six, but the teams were tied at 56 at the half.
“He did a great job commanding the team, leading the team,” forward Khris Middleton said.
“It’s going to take time for us to get used to him and him to see what we’ve been doing and how we’ve been successful so far this season and in the past.” he added.
Jokic’s dominance continued in the third, pushing the Nuggets ahead 74-70. He then orchestrated a six-point run with assists to Reggie Jackson and Peyton Watson, extending the lead to 80-72.
Milwaukee refused to go down without a fight. Bobby Portis and Giannis Antetokounmpo cut the lead to one in the fourth, but that’s where their comeback stalled.
Jamal Murray took over, scoring 14 points in the final five minutes to seal the win for Denver.
Jokic’s 14th triple-double of the season keeps the Nuggets firmly in second place in the Western Conference, while the Bucks remain in their Eastern Conference position despite the loss.
