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Nuggets beat Bucks; short-handed Denver holds off late Milwaukee rally

By Craig Meyer
Published  January 11, 2026 10:01pm CST
Milwaukee Bucks
Associated Press
article

DENVER, CO - JANUARY 11: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks plays defense during the game against the Denver Nuggets on January 11, 2026 at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by do

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The Brief

    • Tim Hardaway Jr. and Aaron Gordon combined for 48 points as Denver won despite missing five key scorers.
    • Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 31 points, but the Bucks fell short late.
    • The Nuggets closed the game at the free-throw line after Milwaukee missed two tying 3s.

DENVER - Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 25 points, Aaron Gordon had 23 and the injury-ravaged Denver Nuggets beat the Milwaukee Bucks 108-104 on Sunday night.

Peyton Watson had 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Nuggets. Over his team’s past seven games, the fourth-year guard has been averaging 23.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Zeke Nnaji added 14 points and 11 rebounds for his first double-double of the season.

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Denver was without five of its top eight scorers, including Nikola Jokic (bone bruise in left knee) and Jamal Murray (sprained left ankle). The five sidelined players are averaging a combined 84.6 points per game this season.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 31 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for the Bucks. Myles Turner scored 16 points while Bobby Portis and AJ Green added 14 apiece. Ryan Rollins was held to two points, snapping a career-best streak of 37 consecutive games with at least 10 points.

Denver had lost five of eight after a 22-8 start, including a 3-4 mark since Jokic, the three-time NBA MVP, went down in a Dec. 29 loss at the Miami Heat.

The Bucks trailed by 15 in the first half and by 11 entering the fourth quarter before trimming their deficit to 105-102, but missed two game-tying 3-point attempts from Rollins and Green in the final 20 seconds. Gordon, the lone regular starter available for the Nuggets, made three free throws in the final 9 seconds to seal the victory.

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Entering the night, Milwaukee had been 5-2 in its past seven games after starting the season 12-19.

Up next

Nuggets: At New Orleans on Tuesday night.

Bucks: Host Minnesota on Tuesday night.

The Source: The Associated Press

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