Millsap’s message and Harris’ clutch shot
PORTLAND» Paul Millsap is a strategist. Rather than bludgeon a point to his team, he’ll pick his spots accordingly and use his voice to full effect.
During a crucial review late in Friday’s late game here against the Trail Blazers, with the Nuggets clinging to a 108-106 lead, Millsap made a point of gathering his team.
“Paul Millsap got up, I think it was like three minutes left in our huddle and said, ‘We say we want to be a playoff team, it’s time to show everybody,’” point guard Monte Morris recalled. “For him to open his mouth like that, it shocked a lot of people because he does it in spurts.”
From that point Jamal Murray hit two free throws, Nikola Jokic engineered a seamless corner 3point attempt, and Gary Harris buried the shot of the game, another 3-pointer, to put Denver up 113-110. The Nuggets then withstood a costly out of bounds call against Murray and an open look from C.J. Mccollum, who missed a short jumper, to win 113-112, their fifth in a row.
Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “I loved hearing that from (Millsap) because he’s not always the most vocal, but when he does talk people do listen.”
Millsap had his second consecutive 20-10 game, finishing with 22 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and four steals, but his galvanizing moment in the huddle was his most memorable moment.
Gary’s back. The Nuggets’ coaching staff joked that Harris’ first assignment back from a sore ankle was having to deal with Damian Lillard, who only averaged 35.5 points in his prior two games.
“’Welcome back, Gary,” Malone joked. “’You’ve got to go guard Damian Lillard, who just scored 41 points. We love you.’ Gary embraces that. He likes those challenges and he wants to guard the other team’s best player.”
Harris, aside from his teamhigh 27 points and four 3-point- ers, flummoxed Lillard on the defensive end and hounded him into a 6 for 16 shooting night.
“I mean I’m a competitor,” he said. “I’m going to go out, no matter who I’m playing against. Man, I try to treat every game the same.”
Morris said Harris’s attitude dates back to his days at Michigan State.
“Gary’s a gamer,” Morris said. “I knew he was going to have a big night .... Me knowing Gary with that Michigan State style of play, he’s never going to back down from a challenge.”
Harris attributed his night to “fresh legs” and admitted resting the past two games was probably the right decision.