Jamal Murray powers Nuggets past NBA-best Bucks

The Nuggets discovered a slice of the electricity and poise they’ve been looking for Monday night.

Against the Milwaukee Bucks, that had been without reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and chosen not to play all-star Khris Middleton, the Nuggets discovered a semblance of rhythm within their 109-95 victory at the Pepsi Center that they’ll desperately need heading into their daunting stretch of the schedule thus far.

“That second half defense, I think we held them to 34 percent in that second half, so which was enjoyable to observe,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “And I thought Jamal (Murray) was very impactful. ”

With seven of the next eight games on the road, Denver guard Jamal Murray was adamant that this one wouldn’t get away. His 21 points, five rebounds and six assists driven the Nuggets (43-21) to a night after Nikola Jokic was hardly his best version.

But after carrying the Nuggets through their bout of accidents, Jokic probably needed the supplemental help Jerami Grant, Paul Millsap, Gary Harris and Will Barton supplied against the NBA’s top team.

That it came from many of Milwaukee’s reserves probably won’t matter to a team that had been only 4-4 since the break.

“This is a game that we needed,” Malone said. “Let’therefore be honest. ”

Millsap added 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Grant, his copy, added 19 points and six rebounds. Collectively, they emptied six of Denver’s 16 3-pointers. Barton, Harris and Murray sunk three of the very own onto a blistering 3-point shooting night.

Meanwhile, Denver’s defense held the Bucks to only 37 percent and flipped 17 Milwaukee turnovers to 17 points.

Both teams looked like they had been going through the moves in a lackluster third quarter prior to a jarring alley-oop out of Murray into Grant place the Pepsi Center off. But as has happened much too often recently, the Nuggets’ transition defense failed to monitor back, and Milwaukee sharpshooter Kyle Korver burnt them to draw within 74-69.

Two possessions later, Murray had everything seemed to be the dunk of the year after he raised over Bucks ahead D.J. Wilson. But it was whistled an offensive foul, and much to the chagrin of their rowdy crowd.

“It definitely wasn’t a foul,” Murray said. “… I felt like I had a measure, so I simply took off. ”

Nonetheless, the energy was contagious, and it erupts to the fourth quarter.

Following Saturday’reduction dispiriting in Cleveland, Malone questioned what plagued his team because the break. As such, it wasn’t the NBA-best Bucks who had his focus heading into Monday night as much as his team.

“I’m not worried about these , and I say that without any disrespect, since they are a team,”” Malone said. “Just hoping to find a way as a head coach to receive our team back to enjoying the way I understand rsquo & we;re capable of. … That’s my No. 1 concern. How can I get our group back to safeguarding, caring for it, rebounding and going out there and only playing more not tight and having any fun. ”

He dismissed the idea once the postseason arrived, that his team would only crank their urgency.

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“When I was in Cleveland, as a coach, you state, ‘You understand rsquo;t flip a switch,’” Malone added. “When we’d LeBron (James), we were able to reverse the switch quite a bit. He’therefore that type of a player. We don’t possess LeBron James. Very few teams do. So, no, using 19 games to go, I could ’t sit here and say I would feel great about going through 18 games, 19 games and stating, ‘OK, guys, here we go. Let’it turn forth. ’”

The Nuggets were up by as many as 16 points until their defense slipped in the next quarter, and they took a lead. Millsap and Grant have been every pouring in 15 points over the initial two quarters to help reestablish their units, a huge one-two combo.

The two combined for five 3-pointers as part of Denver’s outside attack, but Millsap also turned back the clock 2 rim-rattling dunks.

Murray and Barton played their typical energy, adding 10 points each.

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