Denver Nuggets vs Milwaukee Bucks Prediction: A potential Finals match-up?

The NBA Postseason is just a few weeks away and we are into the final phase of the Regular Season. The proceedings will kick off with a Play-in tournament where the seventh to tenth positions team will fight for the two remaining spots in the First Round of the Playoffs. However, some teams need not bother about that, because they have already captured the zenith of the rankings. Two of these teams, the Denver Nuggets and the Milwaukee Bucks are going to meet in a cross-Conference match-up of table-toppers.

The Bucks enter the game after defeating the Utah Jazz 144:116 as Guard Grayson Allen nabbed 25 points in another dominating win for the squad. The Bucks have won three in a row which hasn’t been a big deal for them all season long. After all, they are sitting on the top of the Eastern Conference, having nabbed 53 wins and 20 losses. They have been just unstoppable in the second half of the season

Of course, Giannis Antetokounmpo is the biggest difference-maker, having another MVP-styled season but a champion player needs a terrific two-way balance around him. With Giannis magnetizing defenders inside, shooters have a lot of space to operate from outside whereas the team’s frontline is loaded with both superb offensive and defensive players. Can the Bucks have two titles in three seasons?

The Nuggets enter the affair after defeating the Wizards 118:104 as Nikola Jokic stacked up 31 points and 12 rebounds. This was the second straight win for the team which had a rare period where they had lost five of their six games. Apart from that, the team has played the best basketball in the Western Conference and sits at the top with 49 wins and just 24 losses.

With Jokic as the central operator, who can work a methodical offense, the Nuggets have a bunch of athletic players who can slash inside and also shoot from outside to produce one of the most efficient offenses in the league. The defense has been tight thanks to the defensive anchorage of Michael Porter Jr whereas Guard Jamal Murray will be huge in the postseason. The offseason work was terrific by the Nuggets, bringing in role players like Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell Pope Jr.

• Nuggets: OUT: Collin Gillespie;
• Bucks: OUT: Meyers Leonard, Jae Crowder, Goran Dragic. Game-Time Decision: Khris Middleton.

• Expected Leading Scorers: Giannis Antetokounmpo(31+ Points), Nikola Jokic(27-31 Points);
• Expected Leading Rebounders: Giannis Antetokounmpo(13+ Rebounds), Nikola Jokic(12-15 Rebounds);
• Expected Leading Playmakers: Nikola Jokic(9-11 Assists), Jrue Holiday(7-9 Assists).

The Nuggets will enter the game after a two-day rest whereas the Bucks just played last night and will have a back-to-back away from home. However, Milwaukee has been terrific in such scenarios and a well-rested Nuggets can’t rest their guard against the best team in the league. Anyway, I slightly favor the Nuggets, considering they have the home-court advantage and come after a long road trip. I predict a 126:120 scoreline in favor of Denver.