Nuggets-Pacers Grades: Nikola Jokic's "numbers are a joke"

The Nuggets inched that much closer to a top-eight seed by picking up a 107-104 win over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday. Denver won its third straight game and moved a half game behind the New Orleans Pelicans for the No. 8 spot and one game behind the Minnesota Timberwolves for the No. 7 spot.

Nikola Jokic put together another masterful performance, and Will Barton assisted with much of the heavy lifting. Here’s how each Nuggets player graded out.

*Our game grades are dictated by our Dynamic Player Rating (DPR), which take into account 12 different statistical factors.

Nikola Jokic (A-) 82.07 — Jokic’s “numbers are a joke” lately, Nuggets coach Michael Malone said after the win. He meant it in a good way. Jokic dominated Tuesdays’ game from start to finish. He was efficient from everywhere on the floor in scoring a game-high 30 points. Jokic looked especially confident shooting the three-pointer; he knocked down 4-6 treys, which brought his season three-point shooting average to a tick under 40 percent. The Joker has been on fire for the last month.

Will Barton (A-) 77.69 — Barton started in place of the injured Gary Harris, and he came out hot. Barton scored Denver’s first nine points of the game. He was great in transition, which contributed to him shooting 9-12 on shots at the rim, and also did a nice job of helping out on the boards by grabbing 10 rebounds. Barton scored 26 points on 18 shots — an efficient performance for him.

Wilson Chandler (C) 56.68 — A nose fracture caused Chandler to miss Sunday’s game against Milwaukee. He returned Tuesday wearing a clear plastic face mask. Chandler looked out of sorts in the first half with the contraption attached to his face, but he settled in in the second half. Chandler hit a trio of three-pointers in the third quarter, shots that helped Denver build a double-digit lead.

Jamal Murray (C+) 60.29 — It was an off night for The Blue Arrow. He went 1-4 on shots at the rim and 1-6 on threes. Murray made some nice passes out of the pick and roll and finished with seven assists. He also came up with three of Denver’s 10 steals in the game.

Paul Millsap (C+) 60.54 — Millsap cooled off a bit from his three previous performances, but he still came up big in the fourth quarter. The 33-year-old scored six points and made 3-4 shots in the final 12 minutes of play. He did an admirable job of carrying the scoring load when Jokic went to the bench.

Devin Harris (D+) 44.05 — Harris has struggled to score the basketball efficiently since coming to Denver. He’s shooting 40 percent from the field in a Nuggets uniform. He went 2-5 Tuesday, missing both of the three-point shots he took, while handing out four assists.

Mason Plumlee (D+) 43.94 — Plumlee was on the receiving end of one of Harris’ assists. In the third quarter, they linked up for an alley-oop. It was one of two shots Plumlee made. Plumlee played 10 minutes in this game. His time on the floor has dwindled during this playoff push.

Trey Lyles (D+) 45.27 — Lyles is active when he comes into games even if his shot’s not falling. He never got into a groove offensively, but he still pulled down seven rebounds in 15 minutes.

Torrey Craig (D-) 35.44 — No Nuggets player plays harder than Craig. He always finds a way to corral a few rebounds even though he’s a 6-foot-6 small forward. He grabbed two offensive rebounds after snatching four against Milwaukee. Craig’s counting stats don’t always look pretty, but he usually makes a positive imprint on the game.