DNVR Player Grades: Nuggets show up but fall short

The Denver Nuggets played a game under the gaze of the basketball universe on Wednesday night with playoff implications and big expectations. They apparently did not get that memo. Nuggets fans know those circumstances are a recipe for disaster this season, the team falling flat on their faces when the nation tunes in—the misfortunate subject of Charles Barkley’s schadenfreude. But with the Los Angeles Lakers in town and the national circus in tow, Denver burst out of the gate like a Thoroughbred.

Both teams and the crowd—a roughy 60-40 pro-Nuggets crowd—brought the energy that comprises a playoff atmosphere. The game was competitive from the opening tip to the final whistle after the fifth period of basketball. The Nuggets didn’t back down, but the Lakers will head into the All-Star break with a 120-116 win over the second-seed in the West.

Denver has been in a similar position before, having spent time last season as a Western Conference challenger tasked with proving their worthiness to the Golden State Warriors. They either failed to attract the attention they desired or perhaps regretted it when they did. Golden State’s objective superiority loomed over the season series. That feeling was notably absent as the Nuggets drew their swords and stood their ground against LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokić started hot, pushing Denver out to an early lead. But the Lakers made their move in the second quarter, outscoring the Nuggets 38-24 behind a monster stretch from Anthony Davis. Poor Jerami Grant drew the assignment, a slightly different matchup than Kawhi Leonard or Brandon Ingram, and wasn’t much more than helpless against the behemoth.

Murray owned the third quarter. His 13 points helped to slow the bleeding and flip the momentum, willing Denver back into a game that would stay up for grabs beyond the 48th minute.

The Nuggets were in a position to win, but the two-man game between Murray and Jokić that spurs their clutch-time success wasn’t enough. After the game, Head Coach Michael Malone told the media that he didn’t love the way the duo attacked LA’s switches, particularly Murray challenging Dwight Howard at the rim as opposed to playing behind Jokić.

Of course, Jokić had a chance to sway the outcome directly in overtime. With twenty seconds remaining, he was open for three on the wing, but only briefly, and opted for a pump fake to open a lane. It worked, and Jokić had a chance to either put up a floater or pick out an open shooter as the defense collapsed. He chose the latter, and the Grant-bound pass to the right corner found Kentavious Caldwell-Pope instead.

The Lakers are the class of the Western Conference to date. LeBron James presents a matchup nightmare, and a seven-game series appears daunting at the very least. Still, the Nuggets showed they belong on the floor with a team they’ll almost certainly have to beat if they’re to achieve their goals in the postseason. They don’t fear this matchup. Nor should they.

Bring on LA.

Let’s go to the grades:

Honor Roll

Jamal Murray – A

Go ahead and tack this onto Murray’s string of excellent play since returning from a sprained ankle. Murray is playing through pain, which is painfully evident to the rest of us, but it didn’t stop him from being the player his team needed him to be on Wednesday night.

Murray scored 31 points, including those 13 points in the third mentioned above, and added 10 assists. One notable development was Murray’s success in driving to the rim and either scoring or forcing the defense to collapse. He hasn’t proved himself adept in that area yet, but it’s crucial to finding success against such a formidable interior defense.

Nikola Jokić – A-

Jokić wasn’t his usual self in clutch time. His usual self being the very best player in the world under those circumstances. But that didn’t stop him from putting up 22 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, and a block. He had an excellent game—a nearly spectacular one. But his 0-3 from the field in overtime can’t be overlooked when the bar sits so high.

He took the blame in the post-game and waved away any excuses regarding fatigue or officiating. He knows he has to be better. After the game, Vlatko Cancar told me Jokić knows how many people are counting on him in those situations. There’s a good-to-great chance that we’ve severely underrated Jokić’s competitive spirit. Perhaps consecutive losses to a virtually full-strength Lakers squad will help him find an even higher gear when it matters most.

The Class

Monte Morris – B-

Morris was 5-of-8 from the field for 12 points with 4 assists and no turnovers. He also had some words for The King after drilling a three in his face. Morris wasn’t intimidated.

Torrey Craig – C

Craig’s primary responsibility was to bother LeBron as much as he could. It felt and even looked like a somewhat successful effort at times, but James finished with a monster stat line and the win. You can’t really stop him, you can only hope to contain him, and Craig couldn’t quite do that either.

Jerami Grant – C

Grant went for 15 and 7 but got worked on the defensive end. I would too if my assignment were Anthony Davis. More to the point, most NBA players do. But Grant’s job on Monday night, however arduous, was to make life difficult for AD. He did not.

Gary Harris – C

Harris was 5-for-12 from the field and hit a huge three late in the game. More signs of potential baby steps in the right direction, but not enough to comprise a particularly impactful performance. The Lakers are a tough matchup for him. Without a guard to lock down his true value is severely limited.

Dozier, McRae, Vonleh – C+

Malone asked an all bench unit featuring these three, Morris, and Millsap to bridge the gap between the first and second quarters, then the third and fourth. They held their own and deserve credit for keeping their heads above water without one of Murray or Jokić on the court.