Nuggets at Bucks
The Denver Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks have been streaking up their respective conference standings and hope to carry some momentum into the All-Star break when they meet Thursday in Milwaukee. The Nuggets are winners of five of their last six after a 117-109 victory over San Antonio at home Tuesday night and they've produced at least 115 points in each of those five wins, although defense down the stretch made the difference against the Spurs.
"It just kind of became contagious," coach Michael Malone told reporters after his team held San Antonio to 19 fourth-quarter points. "We built up momentum with our defense, which is great to see. Really, it was just us kind of turning it up, turning up the intensity and take a lot more pride (in it)." Nikola Jokic recorded his fourth triple-double of the season with 23 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists for Denver, which entered Wednesday in sixth place in the West but only three games behind third-place San Antonio. The Bucks are only two games out of third in the East after a 97-92 home victory over Atlanta on Tuesday in which they needed to fend off a late charge. "It's guys making plays, that's what it came down to. Making the extra effort, trying to get to the right spot defensively to close out," coach Joe Prunty told the media after improving to 9-2 since taking over for Jason Kidd.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, Altitude (Denver), FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (31-26): Jokic is averaging 20.2 points, 11.2 rebounds and 8.3 assists in six February games, and he's made 10-of-20 3-pointers this month. "I was aggressive and then they started collapsing on me and I just made an extra pass," he told reporters after dominating the Spurs. "That was an easy, easy game for me." Jamal Murray added 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting in 38 minutes despite being a game-time decision because of a chest ailment.
ABOUT THE BUCKS (32-24): Khris Middleton led five players in double figures with 21 points against the Hawks, while reserve center Tyler Zeller shined in his first home game since being traded from Brooklyn last week with 14 points and eight rebounds in 23 minutes. "It was actually kind of nice being on the road for the first five or six days, I could not worry about getting an apartment ... or anything like that. I could just focus on basketball," Zeller told reporters. Jabari Parker has a total of 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting over his last two games as he continues his comeback from ACL surgery, but the 22-year-old had 27 points and 11 boards in his one encounter with Denver last season.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Bucks All-Star PF Giannis Antetokounmpo had 15 rebounds against Atlanta and is averaging 14.3 over his last four home games.
2. Nuggets SG Will Barton is averaging 20.6 points in his team's five wins this month and he scored six points while shooting 2-for-8 in the one loss.
3. Denver averaged 115.5 points in sweeping two matchups last season.