Nuggets news: Nikola Jokic admits he called out Michael Porter Jr. for bad shot vs. Bucks

Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic revealed that he talked to Michael Porter Jr. about a bad shot he took in the loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Denver Nuggets were once again not able to take advantage of a big night from superstar center Nikola Jokic, falling to the Milwaukee Bucks, 125-112, on Monday night. Jokic admitted following the disappointing loss that he called out Michael Porter Jr. for taking an ill-advised shot during the fourth quarter as they looked to get back into the game.

Here's the shot:

Jokic on this MPJ shot: "I told him after the game I think it's just a bad shot. It was not the timing. We kind of had the lead, it was a contested shot. The guy was right there. I think it was just a bad shot in a bad moment. I want to win the game. He wants to win the game…" pic.twitter.com/R1H7DOa59J

— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) February 9, 2021

As you can see, Porter took the perimeter jumper with a defender right in front of him. Likewise, it was one of the worst possible shots in today's NBA, a long, contested 2-pointer with still some time on the shot clock.

At some point, all this losing despite having magnificent performances could boil into frustration from the Serbian big man. Perhaps him calling out MPJ for the bad shot could be the initial signs of dissatisfaction from Jokic.

The Nuggets trailed for most of the second half and never really regained control of the contest after relinquishing the lead midway through the third quarter. Shots like the one MPJ took can be momentum killers when trying to get back in the game, and Jokic wasn't happy about it.

Jokic scored a game-high 35 points on 13-of-26 shooting and added 12 rebounds and six assists in the 13-point defeat. This performance followed a 50-point evening that also went to waste at the hands of the Sacramento Kings.

With Monday's loss, the Nuggets have now dropped three games in a row to fall to 12-11 on the season. Denver has not been able to keep the momentum from its Western Conference Finals appearance last season, even though Jokic is playing at an MVP level. The rest of Denver's core, particularly MPJ and Jamal Murray, will need to play much better if Denver wants to truly be among the NBA's elite.