Grades: Nikola Jokić drops 50 points in third loss to Kings

Nikola Jokić responded from a down game against the Lakers with the best scoring outburst of his career. He set a new career-high with 50 points, but the Denver Nuggets fell to the Sacramento Kings for the third time this season. Jokić reached new heights, MPJ scraped the floor, and the Nuggets missed Jamal Murray and Gary Harris in a bad way.

Let’s go to the grades:

Nikola Jokić – A+

He wasn’t trying to be aggressive, Jokić insisted after the game. Maybe a little bit in the fourth quarter, he told the media — to see what would happen. What happened is Jokić finished with a career-high 50 points on 20/33 shooting with 8 rebounds and 12 assists. He was nothing short of masterful and almost lifted his teammates out of the grave they’d dug themselves late in the game. Richaun Holmes, Marvin Bagley, Hassan Whiteside — all baby food. He went over, through, and around anyone in his way. He finished 3/6 from deep and 7/7 from the line. Damn near flawless.

The 12 assists are almost an afterthought. Fifty grabs the headlines, even in a loss. It’s hard to remember now, but Jokić opened that game with a seeming pass first approach. Very few players can score 50. Fewer can do it while adding 12 assists. And perhaps only one will tell you they weren’t looking for their shot when it’s all over. There is only one Jokić, and there is no ceiling on his game.

We are watching one of the very best ever to touch a basketball. Don’t take this for granted.

Paul Millsap – B

Millsap was the second-highest scorer in a Nuggets uniform Saturday night. That’s not typically a great sign, and in this case, that’s reflected in the result. Millsap finished 5/8 from the field and 3/4 from deep on his way to 14 points.

Monte Morris – C+

Morris started in place of Murray and filled his shoes well as De’Aaron Fox’s punching bag. Fox presents one of the more significant challenges for Denver across the entire league. They struggle to contain fast guards, and he routinely skipped past Denver’s perimeter defenders as if they were ushers leading him to the rim. Morris played a decent game on the other end of the court, but Fox’s success defined his night.

Will Barton III – C-

Barton remains more committed to the little things than he’s given credit for, but there’s no pop to his game right now. The unorthodox yet effective movements, the slithery finishing, the polarizing confidence — none of its there. He’s not contributing as a scorer unless he’s hot from deep, which is fine if he’s committed to rebounding, secondary playmaking, and improved defense. But Saturday night, Denver needed him to be something more, something closer to the player he once was. That demand highlighted the lack of supply. Barton doesn’t have it physically right now, and unfortunately, no one should hold their breath for the return to form. The injuries he’s endured are not to be taken lightly, and we see now the toll they’ve taken on Thrill.

Michael Porter Jr. – D+

Porter returned to the starting lineup in the absence of Jamal Murray and Gary Harris. He was nearly unplayable. Porter finished 3/11 from the field and failed to impact the game on defense — positively anyway. He did grab nine rebounds, but he was a -20 on the night. Plus / Minus isn’t an individual stat, and it’s as noisy as numbers get, but when the next worst mark on the team is -4 (R.J. Hampton), it begins to paint a picture. Porter played poorly, and he knew it too. The body language is rough right now.

RJ Hampton – B-

Hampton played some decent defense and grabbed 10 rebounds (4 OREB) in 27:30. He also added 7 points on 3/6 shooting. Hampton looked the part out there: an almost overzealous rookie looking to validate his coach’s decision with relentless hustle. He’s noticeably inexperienced yet ready for this league already physically, and that allowed him to keep his head above water so long as his legs kept moving. He played well.

JaMychal Green – C+

That was an average night for Green, and on a night when Denver needed something more.

Markus Howard – D+

Howard picked up surprising first-quarter minutes in the loss. He saw his chance, and he let it fly — unfortunately, only one of his six shots found the bottom of the net, while several of his misses led to fast break conversions for the Kings.

Game Notes: The Richaun Holmes push shot remains the most devastating move in professional sports. I refuse to witness his destruction of the Nuggets any longer. You’ll have to tell me how that next Kings game pans out.