Grades: Denver Nuggets get their signature win in Phoenix

Toss out that big book of Phoenix Suns jokes. This team can play. Roster envy spiked in Denver as Chris Paul, Mikal Bridges, Devin Booker, and Deandre Ayton had their way with the Nuggets in the first half of their Friday night matchup on ESPN. The Suns lead peaked at 14, but it felt Denver had a steeper mountain to climb in the second half. Somehow, the Nuggets dominated the third quarter setting the tone for a comeback that required overtime to complete. Jamal Murray gutted one out, Nikola Jokić made greatness look casual, both Gary Harris and Will Barton contributed, and the bench looked competent again.

To the grades we go:

Nikola Jokić – A

Jokić put up 31 points, 10 rebounds (6 OREB), and 8 assists. And still, some of his most significant contributions came on the defensive end down the stretch. He recorded all three of his steals in the fourth quarter and overtime. He struggled to guard Ayton—who’s improved significantly since Jokić hung that perfect game on him—and couldn’t mitigate a porous perimeter defense by protecting the rim. But he defended well in the clutch, as, frankly, we’re used to seeing here in Denver. He was great, though not at his very best—perhaps the highest bar in basketball—and thankfully, the calvary showed up this time.

Jamal Murray – B

Murray almost dented the rim and broke the backboard with some wayward three-point attempts and couldn’t stop a nosebleed at the point of attack in the first half. Despite some strong finishes at the rim, I thought he looked rough again in the first 24 minutes. He gutted this one out, however, and stepped up his defense in the second half. Michael Malone is adamant Murray must find ways to stay aggressive and make a difference even when the shot isn’t falling. Murray did just that by grabbing seven rebounds, recording nine assists, two steals.

Devin Booker picked up what appeared to be a hamstring injury late in the game, and if he’s out for the encore matchup, it might be an excellent opportunity to find Murray some rest.

Gary Harris – A

Harris scored 19 points on 8/12 shooting. He scored in various ways around the rim, including a hilariously clutch floater late in the game. Is Gary back? I’m not too fond of the question and find the conversation exhausting at times, but he’s trending in the right direction. Harris is a surprisingly efficient player near the rim and from the corners this season. There’s still a role for him. There’s hope yet.

Will Barton III – B+ 

What did you see from Barton Friday night? Was it the handful of missed opportunities at the rim? The unreliable defense? Perhaps the six free throws and eight total points he scored in overtime to seal the game. He was bad until he was good, and he was good when it counted. Thrill finished with 17 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists on 5/10 shooting.

Paul Millsap – C+

Millsap wasn’t the biggest culprit on the defensive end, but much like that Utah series, he stuck out like a sore thumb defending the spread pick-and-roll — particularly with Phoenix’s lead guards penetrating at will. There wasn’t a good matchup for him, although he went 4/7 from the field and 4/4 from the line in 20 minutes.

Monte Morris – A-

Give him another extension. Morris scored 17 points on 6/10 from the field, and it felt like all 17 points came in big moments. He’s been unbelievable this season, and he helped lead the bench to another reliable performance. In Monte we Trust.

Michael Porter Jr. – B-

Porter was solid in his return. He played 19:33 off the bench, putting up 7 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists on 3/7 shooting. It’s worth noting almost none of his time came alongside Jokić, where Porter looks his best, but even his mere presence on the court opened things up for the second unit. He’s a run-off guy, as Jokić called him after the game. Teams aren’t leaving him open, and that makes life easier for his teammates. Welcome back.

PJ Dozier – B-

Dozier typically does a great job defending the perimeter, but he struggled like most of the roster in the first half Friday night. He also jacked up an extremely ill-advised fast break three. Now that the criticism is out of the way, I thought he ultimately made a positive impact in fewer than 15 minutes of playing time.

JaMychal Green – C

Green shot just 1/6 from the floor. He did not play well, but the bench did.

Facundo Campazzo – C

Straight zeros across Campazzo’s box score until we reach the assists and steals columns. He recorded one of each, including a saucy pass to an open MPJ underneath the rim. Ultimately though, he was quiet.

Game Notes: with Porter’s return, it appears Isaiah Hartenstein is the odd man out, at least for the Phoenix matchup. Will Malone stick with a similar rotation in the encore?