Player Grades: Nuggets lose Game 3 vs. Clippers

The Denver Nuggets got great performances from some players in their Game 3 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers but others? Not so much.

Kawhi Leonard and Paul George crushed Denver Nuggets fans’ hearts as the Los Angeles Clippers came up big in the fourth quarter to take a 2-1 series lead in the Western Conference semifinals.

Arguably the best game of the series thus far, the Nuggets looked solid through the first three quarters only to fumble away the game thanks to costly mistakes they made late in game 3.

Let’s get to the grades.

Nikola Jokic – A

A key part of Denver’s early success in Game 3 can be credited towards Jokic. Almost tallying a triple-double, Jokic totaled 32 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists in Game 3 while shooting 54% from the field.

Nugget’s fans (and haters) have seen Jokic put up this statline before, but during a playoff series against the grittiest team in the NBA? I don’t think so. Jokic hit three consecutive 3-pointers in the 3rd quarter to boost Denver’s lead to ten points, threw an incredible full-court dime to Jerami Grant, and maintained his patience when posting up. Though Jokic did commit 7 of the Nuggets’ 12 turnovers, it shouldn’t overshadow the overall impact he created for them.

Gary Harris – B

Examining Denver before and after Gary Harris’s reemergence has been interesting to watch over the past couple of games. Harris has been showing signs of life in the playoffs compared to his sickening performance in the regular season.

Though there were serious signs of parting ways with Harris near the trade deadline, it feels good to have him back on the squad. Gary didn’t produce the most appalling statline, but numbers don’t always reflect a player’s impact to a team. Harris was a pest on defense – recording four steals – and providing excellent help defense as usual. He also hit two out of his four 3-point attempts while dishing out six assists. I’m very pleased to see Gary back on the court and playing his role.

Michael Porter Jr. – B-

Finally, a playoff game where MPJ seemed locked in. An offensive spark plug coming off the bench, Porter recorded a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. We also can’t ignore that MPJ turned 6th-Man of the Year – Montrezl Harrell – into a poster which was easily the most tweeted play of the entire series.

Porter also showed tiny strides of defensive effort, amassing three steals.

However, the decision-making needs to be better. After his tomahawk jam on Harrell, MPJ rushed up a contested 3-pointer with plenty of time left on the shot clock, then shortly after turned the ball over to Harrell on the next possession. Porter needs to mature in late game situations, let alone game situations as a whole, if he wants to see more  court time in the future.

Monte Morris – B-

In the first quarter, Morris found ways to impact the game even with Jamal Murray on the court. Monte did an excellent job off-ball, slashing into the paint to receive some beautiful dimes from Jokic. From mid-range, Morris hit a nice little jumper on the elbow and he hit is only shot from 3-point range. Monte recorded the best box score plus-minus for the Nuggets with a +7, while also dishing out four assists in 18 minutes on the court.

Fluid and consistent as usual, you cannot ask for anything better from a backup point guard.

Jamal Murray – C

The Blue Arrow didn’t show up like his team needed him to this game. Though he had 9 assists, 14 points on a disgusting 29% shooting from the field isn’t going to cut it. Inconsistency is the only thing holding Murray back from becoming the star player we all hope he can be.

After scoring 27 points in Game 2, the Nuggets were expecting a more significant performance from him in Game 3. Like many games, he wasn’t horrible but he simply wasn’t contributing anything special on the court.

Paul Millsap – C

Making five of seven shots is considered a hefty performance for Paul Millsap in these playoffs. Besides getting absolutely smothered by Ivica Zubac in the fourth quarter, Millsap didn’t look like he was plagued with fatigue in Game 3.

He slowed down Kawhi and Marcus Morris from time to time and finished a difficult layup from an awkward MPJ pass. That’s all you can really ask Millsap to do nowadays. Besides making some mid-range shots, Millsap was just another player running around in a cool rainbow, Denver skyline jersey.

Jerami Grant – F

Many Nuggets fans saw this one coming. Grant missed a plethora of wide open 3-point shots (let alone shots in general) in the 4th quarter that could’ve put Denver in a much better position to finish out the game. In addition to his scoring struggles, Grant let Kawhi outrebound him, particularly in the 4th quarter.

While never known as a strong rebounder, Leonard finished with 14 rebounds while Grant only finished with 3. We all know that guarding Kawhi is always a daunting task but Grant couldn’t contain the Claw anything like he did in Game 2, which is something the Nuggets must prioritize if they want any chance to advance to the next round.

What were your grades for the Nuggets’ players?