Grades: Denver Nuggets hit the All-Star break on a roll

The Denver Nuggets are rolling. After a 113-103 victory on the road over the Indiana Pacers, they enter the all-star break on a four-game winning streak, having swept a four-game road trip. The Nuggets held the rest advantage for once, and a tired Pacers squad had only one real push in them. Denver weathered the storm and took home an easy win despite playing a sloppy game.

Will Barton got hot early, Michael Porter Jr. played some defense, and the second unit found some magic.

To the grades!

Nikola Jokić – A-

Jokić played a strange game. He looked out of sorts in the first half — missing bunnies around the rim and turning it over frequently. He was sloppy, but ultimately that speaks to the height of the bar. When it was all said and done, Jokić’s “off night” looked like this:

20 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists on 50% shooting.

He turned it over seven times, but ultimately it didn’t cost his team. The big fella enters a well-deserved All-Star break with an MVP finalist spot all but locked up already.

Jamal Murray – A-

Murray barely looked at the rim in the first half. His teammates were filling it up, and Indiana couldn’t stop them. While he’s prone to overthinking this particular process, he doesn’t get enough credit for unselfishness. Murray feels as though he can’t miss right now, yet he was more than content to manage the game and watch his teammates do their thing. Part of that contentment must come from confidence that he can turn it on and off as needed these days. He turned it on in the second half and finished with 23 points, 2 rebounds, and 4 assists on 53% shooting.

At the risk of eliciting Defensive Player of the Year jokes, I’ll turn my attention to that side of the floor. Murray played a great game defensively, and Malcolm Brogdon was a non-factor in the result.

Michael Porter Jr. – A

This young man enjoys the Indiana matchup. Porter’s come a long way since his ‘step-back game’ against the Pacers — the original offensive explosion from the blue-chip prospect. He led the Nuggets in scoring Thursday night but played a complete game. Despite some issues with boxing out and securing rebounds, Porter finished with 11 boards. His high-flying late-game block also initiated the sequence of the night, ending in a monster flush from Murray.

Sequence of the night pic.twitter.com/KCNkxae9zy

— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) March 5, 2021

Will Barton III – B

Depending on your opinion of Barton, you’re probably focused on either the first or third quarter of last night’s game. He was electric in the first, leading all scorers with 10 points on 4/6 shooting. Barton likes to get those shots up early these days, and on Thursday night, they were falling.

In the third, Barton recorded a couple of quick turnovers by over-dribbling. It was tough to watch, but also the lowlight in an otherwise strong performance. If your concern was an over-confident Barton riding his hot-hand too deep into the game, you might enjoy knowing that he only took nine shots on the night — fourth-most on the team and five fewer shots than Porter.

Vlatko Cancar – B-

‘Baby Joker’ was the first player off the bench for Michael Malone again. There was no Giannis for him to guard tonight, and so we saw another low-risk, low-mistake game from the most modest player in the league. Cancar finished 3/4 from the floor, grabbed three rebounds, and never turned the ball over.

PJ Dozier – B+

Dozier played an excellent game in the win. He didn’t score, but his lead guard skillset was on full display. Dozier recorded eight assists, taking advantage of his ability to penetrate and committing to a pass-first approach. Defensively, Dozier was a stud. He looked an elite fit Thursday night.

Zeke Nnaji – C+

Nnaji is so committed to low-mistake basketball that he verges on costing himself opportunities to make winning plays. He’s reluctant to put the ball on the floor or try a pass with even the slightest degree of difficulty. That said, it’s a commendable approach from a player in his position. He has an entire career ahead of him to spread his wings.

Isaiah Hartenstein – B-

Hartenstein wrapped up a disappointing first half of the season with some quality minutes. He was 3/3 from the floor, grabbed three offensive rebounds, and even dished out two assists. Don’t ignore the bone-crunching screens he set either, even if one of them drew a whistle. Hartenstein was on the floor for a particularly encouraging stint from the bench.

Game Notes:

As my colleague Harrison Wind pointed out on Twitter, this was only the third time Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Michael Porter Jr. all scored 20+ in the same game. The Nuggets are now 3-0 when that happens.