Grades: Nuggets blow another third quarter with Bucks in town

The Milwaukee Bucks had the Denver Nuggets right where they wanted them Monday night. That’s to say; they were down at halftime. The Nuggets blew yet another tired in the third quarter as the Bucks ripped control of the game away and closed the door in the fourth. Nikola Jokić was herculean, Jamal Murray no-showed, and MPJ-related tension boiled over.

Let’s go to the grades:

Nikola Jokić – A

Jokić walked backward into 35, 12, and 6 on 13/26 shooting. With his team reeling in the second half, he took matters into his own hands. He scored 23 points and dished out 4 assists in the second half alone, but it was for naught, and Jokić’s frustrations boiled over late. Michael Porter Jr. rose for an ill-advised jumper as the game was slipping away. Jokić froze, in disbelief, before eventually, and begrudgingly, ambling back down the court to play defense.

“I told him after the game, I think it’s just a bad shot,” Jokić explained to the media.”

With each of Porter’s mistakes, Jokić’s body language grew less subtle. He believes in playing basketball “the right way,” and Porter is well behind that curve. But the big fella waved off the concern.

“I think frustration is a good thing,” Jokić said. “Being mad is a good thing…it’s just going to make us better, hopefully.”

Jamal Murray – D

Murray finished 4/17 from the field and 1/7 from deep — including a wide-open three from the left side that would have kept Denver in the game as the fourth quarter ticked away. His shot looked awful, but his struggles extended beyond results — the process was wonky too. Murray dribbled around aimlessly and grew lazy with his passing. The defense wasn’t great either. After the game, Murray displayed genuine frustration, a bit of urgency, and a ton of accountability.

“Coach is doing everything he can on the offensive end to get us good looks. But he can’t get back on defense for us. Can’t shoot the ball for me,” Murray said after the game. “I’ve got to be way better.”

Murray’s banged up, but almost no star player is 100% at this stage in the season. If those are his aspirations, he’s got to push through it and play better. It’s one thing to miss shots, but when he stops reading the court and injuries infect his energy, his minutes become costly. If this is too much to ask at the moment, then he needs to rest.

Will Barton – B-

Barton played an incredible first half, taking the locker room for halftime with 20 points on 7/11 shooting and 3/5 from deep. He burst through the gate full of confidence and built on it with some aggressive and successful drives to the rack.

However, he spent much of the game and virtually the entire second half getting worked by Khris Middleton. Barton’s defense was decent, but Middleton — a true small forward — got to his spots and simply rose above his outstretched arms. It highlighted the glaring holes in Denver’s roster more than anything. Nonetheless, Barton took responsibility.

“That was on me,” Barton said after the game. “Middleton kicked my ass.”

Paul Millsap – C+

Millsap played pretty well for three quarters. He finished with 14 points on 5/8 shooting and picked up 5 rebounds. He did a decent job containing Giannis Antetokounmpo through halftime, all things considered. Still, Giannis dropped a game-high 14 points in the pivotal third quarter, and Millsap’s fourth is defined by a hideous turnover that derailed one final push from Denver.

Michael Porter Jr. – C-

It unraveled so quickly for Porter, who was on his way towards an encouraging performance. His defense looked much better in the first half, and his body language looked vastly improved as well. But the wheels fell completely off as the game reached its conclusion. Porter took ill-advised shots, got turned around on defense, and drew ire from more than one teammate.

Monte Morris – B- 

Morris dropped 12 points on 4/8 shooting and recorded three assists without turning the ball over. He played well, but a depleted bench unit (four players deep) struggled.

JaMychal Green – C-

Usually so reliable, Green was underwhelming in the loss. He shot the ball poorly.

R.J. Hampton – C+

After several successful outings in which he ran on pure hustle alone, Hampton ramped up his ambitions and contributions against Milwaukee. His best play of the night came as a playmaker, probing, before darting along the baseline and finding a wide-open Barton from three. His only points came on a confident-looking three after Jokić found him all alone. He also corralled seven rebounds.

Vlatko Cancar – ?

Cancar played 5:45 in the first half — a decision that can only be explained by what it also confirms: how little trust Michael Malone has in Bol Bol and Isaiah Hartenstein.