The final score will say the Denver Nuggets escaped Milwaukee. The tape says they nearly gave it away.

Denver walked into Fiserv Forum short-handed and walked out with a gritty 102–100 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, but only after surviving a frantic fourth-quarter rally that ended with a Milwaukee miss at the horn.

This wasn’t pretty basketball. It was functional. And for a Nuggets team missing its usual margin for error, that was enough.

Balanced scoring carries Denver

Denver didn’t have a 30-point headliner. What it had was distribution.

Julian Strawther led the way with 20 points, attacking gaps and hitting timely shots when the offense stalled. Tim Hardaway Jr. chipped in 17, including multiple momentum-stopping threes. Bruce Brown added 15, doing the dirty work on both ends. Aaron Gordon and Jalen Pickett each finished with 13, combining for interior pressure and playmaking that kept Denver afloat when Milwaukee made runs.

The Nuggets shot just 40% from the field and 29% from three, numbers that usually get you beat on the road. What saved them was ball security (only 8 turnovers) and pace control. Denver didn’t let the game devolve into chaos—at least not until the final few minutes.

Milwaukee’s fourth-quarter surge falls short

Milwaukee spent three quarters chasing. Then they flipped the script.

Down double digits earlier, the Bucks ripped off a late fourth-quarter run behind Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 22 points and 13 rebounds and Ryan Rollins’ 21-point night, attacking the rim and forcing Denver into contested jumpers. Myles Turner added 17, and Milwaukee owned the glass with 11 offensive rebounds, creating second-chance opportunities that kept the building loud.

Denver’s offense stalled. The lead shrank. Suddenly, a comfortable night turned into survival mode.

Then came the final possession.

Milwaukee got exactly what it wanted: a clean look at the buzzer to steal the game. The shot went up. It didn’t go in. Ballgame.

Why Denver won (and why that matters)

This wasn’t about shooting percentages or highlight plays. It was about execution under pressure.

Denver dominated fast-break points (21–8). They scored 46 points in the paint, refusing to live and die by the three. They forced 11 Milwaukee turnovers and turned them into points when it mattered.

The Nuggets bent late, but they didn’t break. Against a desperate Bucks team playing at home, that counts.

Style points don’t travel well in January. Wins do. And Denver left Milwaukee with one—barely, but legitimately.