Grades: Nikola Jokić puts Nuggets on his shoulders, buries Bulls in fourth quarter

The Denver Nuggets rolled in the first half Monday night. Michael Porter Jr. found an early rhythm, Nikola Jokić dominated while barely looking at the rim, and Jamal Murray looked dialed in. They were on course for an easy road win over the Chicago Bulls, but the third quarter came round again.

Without Gary Harris, Paul Millsap, JaMychal Green, Facundo Campazzo, and RJ Hampton, the Nuggets were extremely shorthanded. They relied on their top-end talent and held on for dear life when the stars sat. Predictably, Denver trailed as the fourth quarter began. They were reeling, and then the dynamic duo stepped in. Jokić dropped 17 in the fourth, and Murray nailed the coffin shut with a transition three in the final two minutes.

Final Score: Denver 118 – 112 Chicago.

To the grades!

Nikola Jokić – A+

Jokić put his fingerprints all over a dominant opening stint from the starters before he even thought about shooting. He owned the glass and fed a voracious Michael Porter Jr. Jokić posted eight points, six rebounds, and four assists in the first quarter alone.

Occasionally, Jokić’s focus drifts towards the referring. It’s increasingly rare at this stage in his career, but sometimes he takes his eye off the prize and stops reading the court in favor of making a point. He verged on making that mistake in the second quarter but collected himself and directed his fury at his opponents. Visibly frustrated, Jokić put his head down and blasted right through the physical defense from Wendell Carter Jr. and Thaddeus Young. Baby food, as we like to say in Denver.

He dropped 17 in the final frame on 7/10 shooting and dragged the Nuggets across the finish line.

Jamal Murray – A-

Murray got hot early, missing only one of the six shots he attempted in the first half. He scored 12 points in those two frames. Murray grew looser in the second half. Perhaps a mixture of fatigue and contentment set in, but he turned it over three times and missed five of his eight attempts to close the game. None of that matters, however, as he redeemed himself with this shot.

Jamal Murray effectively puts the game away with an absolutely cold-blooded transition 3-pointer#Nuggets #MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/g5WJdVHxbV

— Joel Rush (@JoelRushNBA) March 2, 2021

Nuggets fans have waited a long time for these particular planets to align. Murray is finally both capable and willing to take shots like this one.

Lights out.

Michael Porter Jr. – A-

Michael Porter Jr. will be an elite rebounder in this league. His shot is gorgeous, and he heats up like a microwave, but don’t let that distract you from his impact on the glass. He finished with 15 rebounds tonight, which ties his career-high.

We’re seeing Porter grow into himself and his role in Denver. He dropped 10 in the first quarter and finished with an efficient 17. That’s a promising formula if he’s committed to tenable defense and high-level rebounding when the scoring dries up. He was exactly the player Denver needed him to be Monday night.

It’s unlikely I’m the first person to point this out, but Porter deferred from a transition three in the first half in favor of a reset. He found Jokić, repositioned, and ultimately scored on the play with a corner three. One month ago, he jacks that shot up.

Porter finished with 17 points (7/10 shooting) and 15 rebounds (3 OREB).

Will Barton – C-

What a rollercoaster we’re all on with Will Barton this season. He can’t string two quality performances together. After a vintage performance last time out, Barton pressed the issue and played outside of himself in the first quarter. Despite Jokić, Murray, and Porter combining for 25 points, Barton led the team in field-goal attempts after twelve minutes.

Monte Morris – C

Morris had a tough night. He turned it over twice, scored only seven points in nearly 34 minutes, and got bullied on defense. That said, it’s not a coincidence that Murray continues to dominate alongside another point guard.

Vlatko Cancar – D+

Jokić spoon-fed points to his weight lifting partner, but the Nuggets struggled mightily during Cancar’s minutes. Surprisingly, Cancar was the first player off the bench and led all bench players with 2o minutes of playing time. He posted a team-low -16.

PJ Dozier – C

watching him run the floor feels like watching a car wreck unfold in real-time. There’s a Torrey Craig-Esque clumsiness to him at times — his body working one-to-two steps faster than his mind.

Dozier finished 1/4 from the floor and 2/6 from the free throw line.

Zeke Nnaji – C

Nnaji didn’t play much in the win over Chicago. For whatever reason, Malone leaned on Cancar. Nnaji grabbed one rebound and scored two points in roughly 13 minutes.

Isaiah Hartenstein – C+

Hartenstein didn’t play much either (8:57), but he did corral some rebounds this time. He finished with five.

Game Notes:

Harris, Millsap, and Green remain OUT. Before the game, Malone told reporters he doesn’t expect any of them to be back before the All-Star break.

RJ Hampton and Facundo Campazzo both missed this game due to contact tracing.