Nuggets-Heat Grades: Monte Morris' efficient night leads Denver past Miami

Home sweet home.

After ending their road trip on a three-game losing streak, the Denver Nuggets ran past the Miami Heat 103-87.

We grade every performance from the Nuggets with our Dynamic Player Rating (DPR), which takes into account 12 different statistical factors.

Note: for DPRs that are lacking context, our beat reporters are offering their scout’s grade.

Nikola Jokic (B+) 75.93 — Jokic had an All-Star night with a 23-point, 12-rebound double-double to go with four assists. The lack of assists (compared to a normal Jokic outing) and seven turnovers hurt his score as did a low 91 ORtg. However, he played sound defense with a 91 DRtg, was plus-16 in 36 minutes all while recording a high 31 USG%. We’ve been spoiled by Jokic, who’s made games like this seem average, but this was another impressive outing.

Jamal Murray (C) 59.60 — Scoring 10 points on 37 percent eFG% hurt Murray as Denver’s offense didn’t quite click with him on the court resulting in a 75 ORtg with Murray on the floor. Denver’s starting point guard did leave a mark with five assists and three steals, the latter of which resulting in a strong 88 DRtg. Efficiency wasn’t the name of Murray’s game but he made his mark when he needed to.

Malik Beasley (B) 72.59 — Beasley tied Jokic to lead all scorers with 23 points in just 28 minutes, coming on an efficient 80 eFG%, as he rained in 5 of 7 threes. Of course, his night featured a few exhilarating fast-break dunks — the most efficient shot in the game. Beasley’s 158 ORtg led all players and his 98 DRtg wasn’t too shabby either. If not for four fouls, zero boards, and just two assists while only having a plus-3 plus-minus — the lowest among Denver’s starters — Beasley could’ve had a significantly higher grade.

Mason Plumlee (B) 70.51 — Plumlee’s best contribution came with three blocks in the third quarter which really opened the floodgates for the Nuggets’ big second-half lead. In turn, Plumlee produced an impressive 87 DRtg while pulling down eight boards and dishing out three assists. His 11 points came on a highly-efficient 83 percent eFG% leading him to a game-high plus-27.

Scout’s Grade (A) — Plumlee was Denver’s most valuable player in my book Monday night. His two third-quarter blocks set the Nuggets’ defense in motion in the second half. He’s been Denver’s most consistent defender all season long and again fit that bill versus Miami.

Will Barton (C+) 63.03 — Like Murray, Barton’s scoring stroke wasn’t quite there as he only scored eight points on a cringe-worthy 33 percent eFG%. It’s what Barton was able to do outside of scoring though that led him to a passing grade on a plus-15 night. He also dished out five assists, grabbed six rebounds, and added a steal and a block. To his credit, while Barton hasn’t been scoring as of late, he’s found other ways to contribute with his distribution and presence on the boards.

Paul Millsap (B-) 65.37 — Millsap returned with authority playing strong defense as he swatted two shots and gathered two steals, resulting in a season-best 72 DRtg. Simply put, when he was on the court in his 20 minutes, the Heat struggled mightily to put the ball in the basket. On top of that, he was a point short of a double-double.

Monte Morris (B+) 77.53 — As the starting duo of Murray and Barton struggled shooting from the perimeter, Morris proved to be a spark plug in 28 minutes with 17 points and seven assists, putting the Nuggets over the top in the second half. Morris was ultra-efficient with his 72 eFG% and a 164 ORtg, leading to a plus-16 outing. Unsurprisingly his seven assists came without a single turnover, as he led all Nuggets in DPR on the night.

Torrey Craig (D+) 45.10 — Craig registered a 98 DRtg, his best in the past seven games, which was big in his 20 minutes of play. While his two points came on an unimpressive 33 eFG%, Denver’s 101 ORtg when he was on the court helped his grade. Statistically, his contribution was limited, though he did bring down two offensive boards in a minus-4 outing. His 45.43 average DPR in the last seven games has been well below his season average of 50.99 as Denver’s defensive specialist has been in a bit of a slump.