Nuggets-Wizards Grades: Denver can’t overcome Nikola Jokic’s fourth-quarter ejection

The Denver Nuggets fell to the Washington Wizards Sunday 95-90 in an ugly home loss. Denver held a lead throughout most of the game but wasn’t able to overcome Nikola Jokic’s late fourth-quarter ejection,

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+) 79.29 — Jokic’s ejection hurt in more ways than one, as his absence spelled doom for Denver late in the game. His dismissal also dropped his grade from an A- to a B+. With all that said, Jokic was easily Denver’s best player on the night, leading the Nuggets in scoring with 23 points and a 73 eFG%. He also scored an impressive 128 ORtg and a very strong 85 DRtg. In what was a physical game down low, he hauled in 14 rebounds, with one block and two steals. Interestingly enough, Jokic has averaged only 3.7 assists in the last four games, significantly down from his average of 7.4 on the year. That will be something to monitor going forward.

Jamal Murray (C+) 62.04 —After his most complete game of the season, Murray shot the ball efficiently on a 62 eFG% and scored 12 points in 22 minutes while also recording a 125 ORtg. Unfortunately, he tweaked his left ankle against the Wizards, which held him out from the third quarter on. Beyond his scoring, Murray wasn’t able to impact the game with two assists and two rebounds.

Scout’s Grade (A-) — Murray was trending towards a solid performance before another ankle injury ended his night early. It’s a concern for Denver considering Murray missed six games earlier this season with the same injury. This has been one of Murray’s better stretches of his career and he’s turned the ball over once in his last three games. His status for Tuesday’s showdown in Golden State is up in the air.

Paul Millsap (B-) 68.17 — With Denver’s frontcourt getting tested, Millsap muscled his way to a 13-point, 16-assist double-double, impacting the game even when his shot wasn’t falling. Millsap only registered an eFG% of 23% and neither his 97 ORtg nor 96 DRtg stood out. He was a plus-2 on the night.

Will Barton (C) 57.52 — Barton had yet another rough shooting night, scoring 10 points on a 33 eFG% and also tallied a 73 ORtg. As a team, the Nuggets shot just 7-36 from three and Barton was 2-of-10 from beyond the arc. To his credit, Barton was able to grab four rebounds, dished out four assists and only had one turnover while also blocking two shots, all figures that allowed him to somewhat salvage his grade.

Gary Harris (D+) 46.34 — Harris played 34 minutes but had a limited impact on the game. He was a minus-2 on the night and accounted for an ugly 56 ORtg and a 97 DRtg. Harris’ shooting woes continued as he only registered a 34 eFG%, finished with nine points and a zero GmSc.

Monte Morris (D+) 48.14 — Playing 26 minutes, Morris had to step up with Murray sidelined and wasn’t up to the task, scoring just five points on abysmal shooting percentages and dishing out only one assist. He did have two steals but just wasn’t strong enough in the second half when the Nuggets needed him most.

Mason Plumlee (C) 57.43 — Plumlee was thrust into a crunch time role with Jokic out and his plus-minutes (-12) reflected how Denver was outscored in the final minutes of the loss. But Plumlee played his part, scoring nine points and grabbing 11 rebounds in 25 minutes. He recorded a healthy 60 TS% and accounted for a 97 ORtg and a 93 DRtg, all solid figures that gave him a passing grade.

Malik Beasley (D+) 49.16 — This hasn’t been a good stretch for Beasley, who did grab five rebounds but only scored six points on a 25 eFG%. When the Nuggets needed role players like Beasley to step up, they didn’t answer the call.

Trey Lyles (D+) 46.68 — Lyles got 10 minutes and wasn’t able to provide that shooting spark Denver desperately needed, scoring a mere three points on a 25 eFG%. His 75 ORtg and 99 DRtg were far from impressive in a game where he grabbed two boards and dished out an assist.

Torrey Craig (F) 30.20 —  Craig was part of another lackluster performance from Denver’s bench. He didn’t score in 14 minutes and finished as a minus-3. Craig contributed two rebounds and little else. None of the advanced stats were good here either.