Brook Lopez scored a season-high 28 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo had 22 points, nine rebounds and eight assists as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the host Denver Nuggets 121-114 on Sunday night.
Khris Middleton had 21 points Malcolm Brogdon scored 20 for the Bucks.
Lopez hit a career-high eight 3-pointers, six in the third quarter when Milwaukee built a double-digit lead.
Paul Millsap had 25 points and eight rebounds, Nikola Jokic scored 20 and Trey Lyles had 16 off the bench for the Nuggets. Denver has lost three straight and two in a row at home.
The Nuggets came storming back after trailing by 11 with 12 minutes to go but couldn't close it out. Lyles started the rally with a corner 3-pointer, Malik Beasley hit two 3-pointers and Lyles had a layup and a dunk to tie it at 101 early in the fourth.
Beasley's dunk and Lyles' putback gave Denver a 109-105 lead with 5:36 left.
Eric Bledsoe had a steal and a layup and then converted a three-point play to give Milwaukee a one-point lead.
A free throw and Jamal Murray's leaner gave Denver a 112-110 edge, but Antetokounmpo tied it with a layup and Brogdon hit the Bucks' first 3-pointer of the period to make it 115-112 with 1:41 left.
After two empty possessions for Denver, Middleton hit an 18-foot fadeaway to beat the shot clock and give Milwaukee a 117-112 lead with 42 seconds remaining.
Millsap's dunk made it a three-point game, Middleton sank two free throws and then Bledsoe stole the inbounds pass and sealed it with a dunk with 12 seconds left.
Lopez took over the game for a stretch late in the third quarter. He hit five 3-pointers in the last seven minutes of the period, with each one farther out. His last one, from 28 feet, gave the Bucks a 93-83.
Milwaukee closed out the quarter on a 29-14 run to lead 99-88 heading into the fourth.
--Field Level Media
Milwaukee | Denver | |
Brook Lopez 28 | Scoring | Paul Millsap 25 |
Giannis Antetokounmpo 8 | Assists | Monte Morris 10 |
Giannis Antetokounmpo 9 | Rebounds | Paul Millsap 8 |
Eric Bledsoe 3 | Free Throws Made | Paul Millsap 8 |
Eric Bledsoe 3 | Steals | Gary Harris 3 |
Pat Connaughton 3 | Blocks | Paul Millsap 2 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Milwaukee | 121 | 57.1 | 17-34 | 8-13 | 27 | 41 | 7 | 10 | 13 |
Denver | 114 | 46.1 | 18-38 | 14-20 | 27 | 39 | 5 | 8 | 10 |