The Denver Nuggets played the New York Knicks dangerously close, finding a way to grind out the 115-108 home win in the end.
We grade every performance from the Nuggets with our Dynamic Player Rating (DPR), which take into account 12 different statistical factors.
Note: for DPRs that are lacking context, our beat reporters are offering their scout’s grade.
Nikola Jokic (A-) 81.31 — The Joker’s greatness is becoming the standard at this point. He turned in a ridiculous 19-point, 14-rebound, and 15-assist triple-double, with six offensive boards and three blocks. It was just a routine night from Jokic and only his seventh best DPR of the season. His passing ability was otherworldly, dishing out no-look passes and generating one open bucket after another. His 63.5 assist percentage was his third best of the season despite totaling five turnovers on the night.
Jamal Murray (C-) 53.46 — Murray had a quiet game, scoring only eight points in 32 minutes while recording a 33 percent eFG%. He did dish out five assists to only one turnover but did little else in a ho-hum game for his recent standards. His ORtg of 93, was his 10th worst of the season, while his DRtg was nothing special. The advanced stats did not grade him highly. Murray did have some thunderous dunks on drives to the rim, showing that he’s getting back to full health and regaining some of his lower-body explosiveness, a big plus for the Nuggets and a scary proposition for their opponents.
Torrey Craig (C+) 62.12 — This was an odd outing for Craig, as his offense carried him as opposed to his defense, scoring 13 points on a 60 percent eFG%, with four rebounds for a +3 in 24 minutes. His 134 ORtg was his eighth-best of the season.
Juancho Hernangomez (C) 55.22 — Juancho played the fewest minutes in a game since his early November, a logical consequence of Millsap’s return to the rotation. He shot it well from the field, scoring eight points on an 82 percent TS% and had an efficient scoring night. His impact on the boards was lacking.
Mason Plumlee (C+) 62.17 — Plumlee had an alright night scoring at a high percentage and benefitting from Jockic’s assists for eight points. He also added seven boards and two steals. Four fouls hurt his grade a bit but he was still a valuable contributor.
Monte Morris (D+) 48.59 — Morris’ offensive slump continues. He finished with a 31 percent eFG% resulting in one of his lowest ORtg’s of the year, scoring only five points in 23 minutes. He did dish out four dimes while only turning the ball over once in an otherwise underwhelming performance.
Malik Beasley (A-) 80.43 — In a sloppy game the Nuggets needed someone to step up other than Jokic. That player proved to be Beasley who went off for 23 points in 30 minutes, for easily his best DPR of the season. His DPR in the last six games has really picked up, averaging a 65.07, a full nine points better than his season average. Beasley’s shooting stroke was superb as he made 55 percent of his three-pointers while adding six boards and five assists, with zero turnovers. Jokic needed a Robin to his Batman and Beasley was crucial in the Nuggets pulling out the win.
Paul Millsap (B-) 68.79 — Millsap came up big in his second game since returning to the lineup, scoring 16 points and nine boards in just 22 minutes for a game-high +17 plus-minus. His DRtg of 105 was the best on the team by a healthy margin and a key for the Nuggets edging out the pesky Knicks in the final quarter. Millsap’s impact on the boards was key as well, resulting in a 29 percent DRB% as Denver ultimately managed to outrebound New York by 10.
Gary Harris (D+) 49.60 — Harris’ return to the court is huge for the Nuggets and while he didn’t play up to his lofty standards, he still managed to play his part totaling +7 plus-minus in 20 minutes. He seemed rusty shooting from the floor and racked up three fouls in limited time. Like Millsap, expect his numbers to take a big jump as he gets back into the flow of things.
