Grades: Nuggets erupt in monster first quarter, ride out win over 76ers

The Denver Nuggets erupted for 44 points in the first quarter as the starters tore through the Philadelphia 76ers Tuesday night. Playing in front of roughly 2000 frontline workers and KSE employees, Denver shot out the gates and seized the game immediately.

“We were making shots. We were playing for each other. We were playing defense. We were running. We had a really good pace on the floor. The first quarter was really amazing for us.,” Nikola Jokić told the media.

The second half, not so much. The Nuggets nearly blew the lead entirely as Facundo Campazzo closed the game alongside the starters. The grip loosened, but they rode across the finish line with a 105-94 win.

Michael Porter Jr. looked a world-beater, Jamal Murray closed the game with a flurry, and Jokić loved what he saw from his teammates.

Let’s go to the grades:

Nikola Jokić – A-

The sizers opted to stay big and start Dwight Howard and Joel Embiid’s stead. He didn’t get under Jokić’s skin this time. He looked more like a workout partner than an opponent as Jokić went for 21, 10 (3 OREB), and 5 assists on 8/14 from the floor.

Jokić appeared energized by the way they played to start the game. The starters looked invincible in that opening stint.

Denver Nuggets scoring in opening stint for starters:

Porter – 11 points (5/5 shooting)

Murray – 11 points (4/5 shooting)

Jokić – 6 points (3/5 shooting)

Aaron Gordon – 2 points (1/1 shooting)

— Brendan Vogt (@BrendanVogt) March 31, 2021

“We set the tone, which is a really good thing,” he said after the game.

Jamal Murray – A

Murray had that look in his eye from the jump. He poured in 16 first-quarter points on nine shots but knew full well his teammates had it going too and didn’t force the issue again until the fourth quarter. A small flurry in the fourth gave Denver more breathing room. Murray led the team with nine points in the final frame.

All told, Murray scored 30 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, dished out 4 assists, and recorded 3 steals. After the game, Altitude’s Katy Winge interviewed him on the court. Murray held his arms out and up to the sky as he addressed the fans, basking in the energy of an Arena come back to life, grinning ear to ear.

Michael Porter Jr. – A

Porter dropped 27 points on 11/16 shooting and made it look easy. He’s evolving into a catch-and-shoot nightmare. Porter shot 5/7 from deep, and his teammates assisted four of those makes. When Philly did closeout on time, he attacked it adroitly, finding lanes to the rim and staying aggressive. Porter also grabbed 12 rebounds (3 OREB) and added 4 assists to boot. He looked nothing short of spectacular.

The performance capped off an outrageous month from the phenom. He’s proving himself a surgical complementary scorer.

Michael Porter Jr. in March:

✅ 20.3 PPG
✅ 59.4 FG%
✅ 53.2 3P%
✅ 70.3 eFG%

Porter Jr. is the first player in @nuggets history to average 20+ PPG with a 70+ eFG% in a calendar month, and leaguewide he is just the fourth player in the last 50 seasons to do so (min. 10 GP). pic.twitter.com/dAFwSmlD4Z

— Justin Kubatko (@jkubatko) March 31, 2021

Aaron Gordon – A-

Don’t look to Gordon’s box score for a proper reflection of his value in the win. We saw flashes of winning defense from him on Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, even Seth Curry. Simmons was the primary assignment — a tough player for Denver to match up with in the past. Gordon made all the difference.

Perhaps his best possession came when he picked up Seth Curry along the perimeter as the shot clock began to wind down. Gordon fought over a screen and avoided the switch. He kept Curry in front of him and forced him to give it up to Harris in the corner. Seamlessly Gordon switched with Porter and picked up Harris. He contested a late three and forced a miss.

Suddenly this team looks well suited to defend almost anyone.

Will Barton – C

Barton missed every shot he took, but he made other contributions. He engaged defensively, fought for seven rebounds, and recorded six assists. He didn’t play well but redeemed himself in ways some second unit members could not.

Paul Millsap – B

Millsap scored 10 points on just 4 shots and picked up 2 blocks in roughly 15 minutes off the bench. He schooled G-League MVP Paul Reed a couple of times, blocking the rookie from behind and then drawing a foul on a 3. The bench role suits him.

JaMychal Green – B

The Sixers went small in the second half, and as a result, Green only played 13:34 in the win. He did grab six rebounds and dish out three assists in that span.

Facundo Campazzo – D+

The highlights: Campazzo flopped his way to a call on Simmons and then blew up a Simmons screen like Steve Atwater before staring him down. The bench loved it.

😱 pic.twitter.com/EIpcIZ48EV

— riley 🤝 (@rileyog) March 31, 2021

The lowlights: everything else. Campazzo finished 0/5 from the floor, turned it over four times, and, curiously, closed alongside the starters in place of Gordon.

After the game, Michael Malone told the media the 76ers went smell, and he hoped to match their size but admitted he “probably should have” gotten Gordon back out there.

PJ Dozier – C-

Dozier does not look comfortable on offense. Many of his teammates were able to let the game come to them Tuesday night, but Dozier went out in search of his.

Game Notes: Malone said he expects Monte Morris to be at least questionable for the Los Angeles Clippers game Thursday night. Morris is expected to come off the bench initially.