NBA wrap: Bucks beats Nuggets to finish grueling schedule stretch

Milwaukee Bucks, which has been road warriors in November, took its show on the road to Denver on Sunday, roughly 24 hours after losing in overtime to the Clippers in Los Angeles.

Playing its sixth game in 11 days, and fifth in eight days, one would have expected the Bucks to be out of gas. Instead, it beat a very good Denver Nuggets squad, 121-114, in a matchup of 9-3 teams.

Center Brook Lopez led the way with 28 points, with the 7-footer hitting 8-of-13 3-point shots.

For a team that would have had every excuse to be tired — which often leads to poor shooting — Milwaukee was hot from the field, shooting 57-percent overall and 50-percent beyond the arc. Giannis Antetokounmpo (22 points), Khris Middleton (21) and Malcolm Brogdon (20) all scored 20 or more points. 

Five of the Bucks' six games in that 11-day stretch were road games, including stops at Boston Celtics, Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors. The Bucks finished 3-3 in that brutal run of games, its toughest schedule stretch of the season. Milwaukee now gets a couple of days off before beginning a six-game homestand Wednesday against Memphis Grizzlies.

STUD OF THE NIGHT

One night after a dreadful shooting performance against the San Antonio Spurs, James Harden was firing on all cylinders against the Pacers on Sunday. Harden scored 40, hitting 9-of-20 shots (including 8-of-18 three-pointers) to key Houston Rockets' 115-103 victory.

DUDS OF THE NIGHT

New York Knicks hits only 5 of 28 3-point attempts (17.9 percent) in a 115-89 loss to OrlandoMagic.

HIGHLIGHTS

Tyson Chandler wins the game for the Los Angeles Lakers with this last-second block.

WHAT’S NEXT

Warriors (11-2) at Clippers (7-5) 10:30 p.m. ET – The Warriors will face their second game without Stephen Curry, who's out with a groin strain — if only they had some other All-Stars around to help pick up the slack, right? The Clippers have won three of four games, including an impressive overtime win against the Bucks on Saturday.