Grades: Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokić steal one from Bulls

If the current era of the Denver Nuggets is to be defined by one thing to date, it’s the two-man game of Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokić. With an embarrassing loss to the Chicago Bulls on the line Friday night, the Nuggets fell back on old reliable, and their two stars whipped up their blend of March Madness as they led their team to a 131-127 overtime win.

Jokić unleashed chaos, Murray hit the daggers, and Facundo Campazzo spurred yet another run with his unabating defense.

To the grades:

Nikola Jokić – A+

Masterful. Hang it in the museum of Jokić. He finished with 34 points, 15 rebounds (5 OREB), 9 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, and 0 turnovers. With the game on the line, he and Murray synched up and delivered time and time again. He scored 15 points on 6/9 shooting and dished out 5 assists in the fourth quarter and overtime period alone.

With the game on the line, in what looked like a broken final possession, Jokić put his head down and drove, waiting for a window of opportunity. As most stood and watched, Murray scurried to the corner, and Jokić didn’t miss a beat.

Nikola Jokic on Jamal Murray's game-tying three: "I was thinking about taking a contested three, but I wanted to drive because we had a lot of time on the clock. I saw (Thaddeus) Young stop, and I just spin and pass the ball to Jamal…all that happened because of Facu's steal." pic.twitter.com/eXXmF3NpgE

— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) March 20, 2021

We’ll get to the Murray perspective on this and the steal from Campazzo that Jokić mentions, but let’s take a moment to marvel at the elite chemistry between them. That’s why the Nuggets are now competitive on a game-to-game, season-to-season basis.

How about this for a bow on top? Jokić and Murray each scored 34 points last night, making them the first Nuggets duo to each score 34+ since Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson in 2007.

Jamal Murray – A

Before the furious comeback and the ‘Flurry’ to seal it, Murray struggled mightily. He finished the game with seven turnovers and scored only 3 points in the first half. Something must have clicked at halftime because everything changed when he retook the floor. Murray scored 24 points in the second half on 8/12 from the field and added another seven OT points.

“I don’t know how many other two-man combos are as lethal in clutch situations as Jamal and Nikola are,” Michael Malone said after the game.

Murray concurred:

Jamal Murray on his and Nikola Jokic's two-man game: "There's nothing on a game-to-game basis that we haven't seen. We just react…I think we know how to play off each other better than any duo in the league."

— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) March 20, 2021

Michael Porter Jr. – B+

Porter played a solid complementary game. He finished with a modest 19 points and six rebounds while playing with great energy and defending at a high level. Millsap was a step slow in his rotations as the starting power forward, and Porter closed this game in his place as Malone slid Facundo Campazzo into the lineup. That group cruised. Porter also found himself switched onto Chicago All-Star Zach LaVine on multiple occasions and held his own. His improvement is steady now, but that seemed an impossible development when this season began.

Paul Millsap – D-

Yet another poor showing for Millsap as the starting power forward. As mentioned above, Malone went in another direction to close the game. That appears to be the formula as they await Monte Morris’ return and any possible movement before the deadline.

Will Barton III – B-

Barton managed to salvage an up-and-down performance with some key hustle plays. He struggled to get his 16 points and struggled even more on defense, but he grabbed 6 rebounds, dished out 3 assists, and didn’t turn the ball over. He was the only Nugget other than Murray and Jokić to score in OT.

Facundo Campazzo – B+

Campazzo is an inspiration to modest-sized men everywhere. He recorded 8 assists and grabbed 4 rebounds in 33:50 off the bench, and earned his gold star with the most important steal of the game.

💬 Facu y el robo a LaVine: "Jamal (Murray) me dijo que vaya a por el robo. Esperé el momento que LaVine dejó de mirar el balón y lo busqué". pic.twitter.com/HuIJ0O9rXz

— TeamFacu (@TeamFacu7) March 20, 2021

Porter, the first to run over and check on Facu after that fall, had some high praise for his rookie teammate after the game:

“Without that steal we don’t win the game…”

“He’s a winner.”

PJ Dozier – C-

Dozier played sloppily on both ends of the court.

JaMychal Green – B-

Green’s contributions were modest, but he played well. He finished with 10 points and 4 rebounds on 3/5 from the floor and 2/3 from deep.

Zeke Nnaji – B+

Nnaji played 11 minutes and made the most of his opportunities. It was a clean performance — he defended at a high level and looked shot ready on all three of his attempts. He knocked them all down too.

Clean Up Crew – DNP

Game Notes: RJ Hampton was active for this game in a return from an extended absence related to contact tracing. He did not play however — coach’s decision.