Player grades for the Nuggets’ Game 6 win

After trailing 3-1 in the series, the Denver Nuggets have clawed their way back into their first-round playoff match up with the Utah Jazz.

The Denver Nuggets have tied the series at 3-3 Sunday night after defeating Utah Jazz 119-107 in Game 6. Here are some individual grades:

Jamal Murray: A+

Giving Murray anything less than a perfect score for his Game 6 performance may get me sued for libel. Murray finished with his second 50-point performance of the series, shot an absurd 70.8% from the field, made 9 threes and totaled 6 assists. Without Murray in this series, Denver may have been swept by Utah, as Murray has been the leading scorer for Denver in each of their three wins.

Murray’s on-the-court performance was only to be outdone by his post game interview in which he addressed the meaning of his shoes (custom-made with the faces of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd), and the importance of unity and consolidation.

Jerami Grant: A-

Grant scored 18 points in the Nuggets’ win and shot the ball particularly well from deep, going 4-7 from downtown. Grant also swatted two shots in the contest, showcasing his defensive prowess and forcing Denver to seriously consider bringing him back in the off season.

Nikola Jokic: B+

Jokic contributed his usual production of 22 points and 9 assists in the win. Jokic shot just 46.7% percent from the field, but looked stout defensively against Rudy Gobert, limiting him to just 11 points on 3-8 shooting after Gobert averaged 17.6 points per game on 69.8% percent shooting from the field in the last five contests.

Torrey Craig: B

Craig finished the game with just 8 points but he also pulled down 6 rebounds. In addition, the Nuggets were +18 when he was on the floor. Craig provided a great defensive presence against Utah’s perimeter players and picked up two steals and a block in the process.

Monte Morris: B-

Although Gary Harris has returned, Morris once again got the start for Denver, tallying 10 points and 3 assists in the Nuggets’ win. Morris converted some big shots down the stretch for Denver and as usual, impacted the game as an extra ball-handler.

Gary Harris: C+

For his first game in five months, this game could have gone worse for Harris. He finished the game with more fouls than points but Harris occasionally provided much-need boosts defensively for the  Nuggets throughout the game. He was tasked with guarding the red-hot Donovan Mitchell, Mike Conley and Jordan Clarkson throughout the game, which alleviated the pressure off of Denver’s fellow perimeter players.

Paul Millsap: C

Millsap started the game for Denver but played only 19 minutes and totaled just 5 points. Denver may need a bounce-back performance from their veteran forward in Game 7.

Mason Plumlee: C-

Plumlee totaled just 12 minutes off the bench for Denver but made his presence felt defensively, grabbing 5 rebounds and collecting a steal and a block during the contest, as well as finishing the game with a box plus/minus of +11.

Michael Porter Jr.: C-

Game 6 was arguably the worst offensive game Porter has played since entering the NBA bubble. The rookie finished with just 2 points on 1-7 shooting and missed all 5 of his threes. MPJ did look engaged defensively though, and finished the contest with a game-high 12 rebounds.

What were your grades for the Nuggets’ players after their Game 6 win?