Milwaukee Bucks vs. Denver Nuggets Pick & Prediction MARCH 26th 2025

Preview and Prediction

As the regular season winds down, teams that have secured a spot in the playoffs must make a decision: prioritize winning or prioritize the health of their players.

In preparation for their matchup on Wednesday night in Colorado, both the Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets have chosen to prioritize the health of their players over potential playoff seeding.

The Bucks (40-31) are currently only two games behind the Indiana Pacers for the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, but their main concern is navigating through injuries and absences. Center Jericho Sims is expected to be out until the playoffs due to thumb surgery, Damian Lillard has missed the last three games with a right calf injury, and big man Bobby Portis Jr. is serving a 25-game suspension for violating the terms of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program.

The absence of Sims and Portis puts more pressure on Brook Lopez, who is currently fourth on the team in scoring with an average of 12.8 points per game. However, coach Doc Rivers is not willing to overwork his players before the playoffs.

Rivers expressed his concerns, stating, "We're in the toughest part of our season right now, and we only have one center on the roster. That's a tough situation. And the one we have is 36 years old. I refuse to play him excessive minutes. We'll have to find a way to get through this. If we can come out of it with our heads above water, we'll be fine."

Fortunately for the Bucks, they have Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is currently second in the NBA in scoring with an average of 30.2 points per game and sixth in rebounding with an average of 12.0 rebounds per game. Lillard (24.9 ppg) is second in scoring for the Bucks.

The Nuggets (45-28) are currently third in the Western Conference, but they are only four games ahead of the play-in tournament. Therefore, a prolonged losing streak could be detrimental to their playoff positioning. Despite not having MVP candidate Nikola Jokic for the last five games, the Nuggets have managed to stay in the top three in the standings.

Jokic leads the Nuggets with impressive averages of 29.1 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 10.3 assists per game, all of which rank in the top three in the NBA. However, he has been out with a left ankle injury and a sore right elbow. The Nuggets have gone 2-3 in the games he has missed, including a 129-119 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Monday, which marked the beginning of a five-game homestand.

Jokic is expected to return during the homestand, and Aaron Gordon, who sat out Monday's game to manage a right calf injury, should also be back in the lineup on Wednesday.

In Jokic's absence, Jamal Murray has stepped up, averaging 33.5 points over the last two games. Peyton Watson also made a career-high 24 points in Monday's game, filling in for Gordon.

Watson expressed his gratitude for the opportunity, saying, "I'm getting a good amount of opportunity to do what I can do and just finding a little bit more comfort. My teammates are trusting me in positions to score, play-make, facilitate, do a lot more on the offensive end. So, I'm just trying to be as consistent as I can in my role and try to do what I can to help our team win."

PREDICTION

Milwaukee Bucks

108

120

Denver Nuggets

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Denver Nuggets Recap MAR 26TH 2025