DNVR Player Grades: Jamal Murray snatches victory from the jaws of Donovan Mitchell

What a welcome back to the NBA Playoffs for Jamal Murray, the Denver Nuggets, and the team’s increasingly hopeful fanbase. Murray all but literally caught on fire in the fourth quarter, and overtime as the Nuggets took an electrifying Game 1 by a score of 135-125.

The 10-point margin of victory doesn’t do justice to the game Donovan Mitchell, and the Utah Jazz turned in. Mitchell dropped 57 points, the third-highest single-game total in postseason history, and shredded a reeling Nuggets defense, putting up double digits in the second, third, and fourth quarter; the last including his peak: 22 points on 7 shots.

Denver played without starters Gary Harris (hip) and Will Barton III (knee), while Utah matched down Bojan Bogdanović (out for season/wrist) & Mike Conley Jr. (child). All signs pointed to a Nuggets victory in the first-half despite 19 points from Mitchell. Without those essential players to their best half-court offense, Utah needed a herculean effort from their best scorer, and it still didn’t look like it would be enough. Joe Ingles whips but isn’t an ideal option to fill a high-volume scorer role, Rudy Gobert offered characteristically limited contributions on that end, and Jordan Clarkson didn’t have the juice—so it goes.

As it turned out, Mitchell had plenty left in the tank.

Utah targeted Denver’s Rookie like the culvert in the walls of Helms Deep—which is a generous comparison for the defense the Nuggets rolled out, but let me get this reference off—playing Michael Porter Jr. off the floor in the second half. The Nuggets looked flustered and fumbled the lead before the ever-reliable two-man game of Jokić and Murray stabilized them.

Jokić played well but played second-fiddle to the hot hand. We know that doesn’t bother the best player on the team as long as Denver gets the win, and it also produced my new favorite moment of the current era:

#Nuggets #MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/A4yTqkuXQl

— Joel Rush (@JoelRushNBA) August 17, 2020

If not for Murray’s heroics, the Nuggets would have dropped a second consecutive postseason opener to an underdog. Yet the Blue Arrow lit up the sky when it mattered most, and Murray dropped 20 points and 6 assists in the final quarter plus overtime period.

The Nuggets have a tremendous amount of work cut out for them, and I have a feeling Head Coach Michael Malone won’t get much sleep over these next couple of nights. But the Jazz wrote the perfect script to them stealing Game 1 and possibly the series — yet the Nuggets walked away with the win.

Let’s go to grades:

Honor Roll

Jamal Murray – A

Jamal Murray didn’t play much defense until the second half, so I can’t give him an A+, but I won’t waste any more words on that side of the floor. He was nothing short of transcendent in the final minutes of the fourth quarter and overtime, matching Mitchell shot-for-shot and jawing with a helpless Ingles tasked with containing him.

For obvious reasons, there’s something poetic about getting the Murray vs. Mitchell game right off the bat. The former’s presence dissuaded the Nuggets from pouncing on the latter; the opportunity to do so subsequently traded to the enemy — the latter’s numerous buckets Monday night drenched in context and contempt. Murray, cursed with inevitable comparison to an elite scorer, had no choice but to respond and validate the organization’s trust. The two teams and cities that bookend the Rocky Mountains, and so often overlooked by the coastal media, put on a spectacular show—their star guards dancing in a dual worthy of any stage.

Mitchell was the best player on the floor, but Murray is responsible for that which trumps all: the ‘W.’

Nikola Jokić – A-

Jokić put up 29 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals on 52% shooting, including 4/7 from deep — so he was, of course, instrumental to the win. Still, it’s fair to say he didn’t dominate his matchup with the best defensive center in the NBA like we’ve seen him do in the past. When one sets the bar as high as Jokić has, those become the expectations. His defensive effort was lacking, he looked something less than his unflappable self in the post, and he missed a game-winning shot that we’ve seen him hit a hundred times before.

All is well, given his significant contributions in what is ultimately a win, but Denver should look to play more Jokić-ball in Game 2. When the ball is in his hands, his teammates must be more active — regardless of where the blame lies, however, 3 assists do not reflect an optimal contribution from the best passing big-man who’s ever lived. I believe in Jokić, and perhaps more importantly, I believe in Inat. Expect an even better performance from Big Honey in Game 2.

The Class

Monte Morris – B+ 

In Monte, our trust restores. After a miserable postseason debut, Morris responded with 16 points on 6/9 shooting, 2/3 from deep, and a handful of timely buckets in his first 29 minutes of the new campaign. He struggled to defend, but who didn’t really? And Denver will gladly welcome what he provided on the other end of the floor. There was a time when my colleagues and I argued that Morris was the best backup point guard in the league. After a strong start to the redemption tour, I’m ready to emerge from my cave of take-shame. Morris looked great, and the sun is creeping out from behind the clouds.

Torrey Craig – B-

Craig’s local reputation as the Mitchell stopper is well-earned. But it’s hard to stop Mitchell from the bench, and Craig was limited to 21 minutes thanks to foul-trouble that led to an eventual disqualification. He was great when on the floor, and added 11 points on 57% from the field, he just spent too much time off it.

 Jerami Grant – B-

Let’s keep it a buck, Grant spent a lot of time guarding Mitchell and as you might infer, spent a lot of time catching that work. But Grant was the third-leading scorer with 19 points and played the third-most minutes (39). They needed him, both to be himself and to fill the roles of others by default. He held his ground.

Michael Porter Jr. – C

13 and 8, including 3/7 from deep isn’t a dreadful debut for a rookie, but it doesn’t tell the full story of Michael Porter Jr.’s first postseason game. The Jazz targeted him in a relentless onslaught of on-ball screens, finding a ludicrous amount of success with the tactic. Old man Ingles took the young buck to school more than once, and Michael Malone rolled his shiny new car back into the garage. This performance doesn’t surprise me, nor does it concern me. This test was inevitable and necessary for MPJ. Now to see how he responds.

Principal’s Office

Paul Millsap – D+ 

Rough day for your boy. I’ve dispensed many words on the severe underratedness of Millsap, and his usefulness in a playoff setting. He was not particularly useful in Game 1.

‘Dad’ played his ass off on defense but scored only 8 points on 3/10 shooting in 29 minutes.

PJ Dozier – D+

Dozer played 20 minutes and had the displeasure of guarding Mitchell in place of Craig or Grant. He took just 3 shots and scored only 3 points.