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Nikola Jokić – A–
Anthony Davis dominated more than half of this game. It was the most impressive basketball I’ve seen him play until the fourth quarter. But the fourth belongs to the Nuggets, and Nikola Jokić is inevitable. Jokić put the cherry on top of a 27-20-10 performance with a dominant fourth quarter. He scored 7 points on 3-5 shooting and dished out four assists. Three of those went to Murray, who Jokić never lost trust in. The Nuggets scored eight of the final nine possessions to close the game.
Jokić has reached unfathomable levels of production. He’s the only player in the league who could post such a line while it feels like he left plenty on the table. Davis deserves credit. He defended Jokić one-on-one and took it to him for most of the game. But the key word is most. It takes four quarters of complete basketball to bury the Nuggets. They have two of the best finishers in the game.
Jamal Murray – B+
Jamal Murray missed a lot of shots. But Jamal Murray made the shot. His sense of the moment is uncanny, and his penchant for delivering iconic moments makes him the perfect running mate for the best player alive. Jokić never stopped looking for his co-pilot, and the poor shot luck finally gave way to greatness. Denver’s dynamic duo delivered a two-man masterclass down the stretch. Jamal Murray made it a night to remember with an unforgettable shot.
After the game, an exhausted Murray credited his teammates for relentless, if not surprising, encouragement:
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Every Nugget believed the final shot was going in. That’s the beauty of this team and the Murray experience. He’s ready for this.
Michael Porter Jr. – A
Porter was among the most consistent players on the floor in Game 2. The Lakers came out firing, and the Nuggets held the rope for dear life. They may well have let go if not for Porter’s scoring. The Nuggets trailed by 15 at the half, and they were only that close thanks to Porter and Jokić’s three-point shooting. Porter was 4/6 from deep after two quarters. As is often the case, Denver shrank its offense down to the two-man game as time wound down. Porter’s attempts dried up, save for one chaos-preceded shot. It was arguably the second biggest make of the night.
Aaron Gordon – B+
Gordon’s rebound and assist helped save the game, but he made other essential contributions to the comeback. Anthony Davis dominated the first half. Then Aaron Gordon took the primary assignment. Davis shot 2/7 from the floor for the rest of the game. There was a time when the Nuggets didn’t have answers for players like LeBron James or Anthony Davis. In Aaron Gordon, they have a viable defender for both.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – C
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Pope struggled for most of the game. He couldn’t hit a shot, and D’Angelo Russell got hot to start the game. He took advantage of pace and cross-matches to find a rhythm. Meanwhile, Pope shot 2/7 from the floor and 0/4 from deep. He did, however, take advantage of one crucial opportunity. The Nuggets were working their way back from a 20-point deficit and had the lead down to 13 late in the third quarter. Russell missed a corner three, and the Nuggets went on the break. Pope, a hilariously unreliable finisher at the rim, threw down the most thunderous dunk of his Nuggets tenure.
Reggie Jackson – D+
We’ve spent so much time explaining what we already know about Reggie Jackson. Although most of his performance was substandard, he, too, found a way to contribute in a timely manner. He drew a clutch charge in the second half.
Christian Braun – A-
Braun was the only Nuggets player to score 10 points off the bench. It was a good night for Denver’s second unit, and Braun led the way, shooting 5/8 from the floor. The Nuggets are better defensively than they were last season, even with the turnover in the offseason. It’s Bruce Brown’s offense that they miss most. Braun did his best to fill in those shoes.
Peyton Watson – C+
Watson was quiet for much of the game but also came up clutch with a timely highlight. The Nuggets had carved the lead down to seven, and Gabe Vincent drove to the rim. Watson was there to keep points off the board. He finished a layup on the other end. It was a big moment.
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