The Denver Nuggets played the game in front of them Saturday night, and they played it well. With a full day to adjust to their new reality without Will Barton and playing a Houston Rockets team with just seven active players, Denver got back on track in Ball Arena. You have to nail the ‘Get Right’ games, and Denver got this one right.
Michael Porter Jr. set a new career-high with 39 points, PJ Dozier set a new career-high in his first career start, and Facundo Campazzo set a new career-high with 13 assists.
Let’s go to the grades.
Nikola Jokić – A+
The Rockets never had a chance. Jokić cruised to 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 12 assists on 10/14 shooting in just 29 minutes played. He set the tone in the first quarter with 16, 4, and 4, before quickly realizing this game didn’t require the proverbial extra gear. Light work for the MVP.
His highlight came when he generated a 99% look at the rim from the opposing baseline with less than a second remaining in the first half. There is only one Big Honey.
Jokic with the full-court dime 👀 https://t.co/CLIT5a3WfU
— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 25, 2021
Michael Porter Jr. – A+
I wonder if Michael Porter Jr. would consider his work light too. The box score doesn’t look that way, but it all looked effortless for him Saturday night. Porter knocked down at least seven threes for the second time in as many nights, this time shooting 8/12 from deep. He also scored on some impressive drives and finishes over DJ Wilson, serving as excellent reminders that, among many other positive qualities, Porter is simply huge. His athleticism and length jumped off the screen when he recorded three blocks too.
It all added up to a new career-high for a star in the making. It’s hard not to get carried away with Porter. He truly is this talented. Now he must put his scorer’s nature and prowess to the test over a grueling stretch of schedule as they advance. It’s his time now.
PJ Dozier – A
From the department of stats that sound false — Dozier made the first start of his NBA career against Houston. He scored the first nine points of the game for Denver on three 3s and swatted an attempt at the rim. His adrenaline and ferocity practically palpable, somehow Dozier collected himself and fell back. Dozier can get carried away, but he opted to stay within himself despite an otherworldly start. The result: a new career-high 23 points on 10/13 shooting with 7 rebounds and 3 assists. He played a fantastic game on the defensive end as well. It could not have gone much better for Dozier.
Facundo Campazzo – A-
Campazzo struggled to find the bottom of the net again, but he didn’t struggle to set up his teammates. He recorded an NBA career-high 13 assists as he logged the second-most minutes played on the team behind Porter. He was a menace on defense and got to dip into his bag on the other end. It was so fun watching him do Campazzo things. He is indeed a magician with the ball.
Las 1️⃣3️⃣ asistencias del crack cordobés ??
Vía @NBALatam pic.twitter.com/SliEtAnFNh
— TeamFacu (@TeamFacu7) April 25, 2021
Aaron Gordon – C+
Gordon sleepwalked through his roughly 19 minutes on the court. The jury is still out on the various factors in play. Gordon could still be getting his body right, or he might simply be conserving energy, but he does look like he’s in cruise control. No harm, no foul Saturday night.
JaMychal Green – B
Green’s struggles continued in the first half, but ultimately, he knocked down some shots and (hopefully) got himself back on track. Some of the looks he found were noticeably different, including one corner three courtesy of new threat on the court.
JaVale McGee – B+
Michael Malone kept Paul Millsap on the shelf Saturday night, finally turning to JaVale McGee instead. McGee played quite well. The box score may not necessarily show it, but he gave the second unit a new dynamic on both ends of the court. He presents a threat as a roll man. One the defense won’t ignore and can open up shots for others. He also deterred some layup attempts from happening altogether with his presence in the lane. That’s something we never see from this team.
Austin Rivers – C
Rivers was mediocre in nearly 30 minutes, but he had a couple of nice moments when he put the ball on the floor and got to the rim. He’s not trying too much thus far, and that’s a credit to him
Shaq Harrison – C+
Harrison’s minutes dipped to 15 tonight. I have to imagine Houston having one active guard on the roster factored into that.
Clean-Up Crew – Played
The crowd wanted Bol, and the crowd got Bol. Millsap was the only active player not to make an appearance against Houston.
