Denver Nuggets: 3 keys heading into Game 3 against the Lakers

2. Coach Michael Malone should go back to PJ Dozier

If not for Davis’ game-winner, the key stories of game two would have been Jokic’s own heroics, and Mike Malone’s decision to expand the rotation and play PJ Dozier for 14 minutes, including the entirety of the fourth quarter.

Critics will point to Dozier’s 1-of-5 shooting at the free-throw line, and not without reason, since two more conversions would have resulted in the Davis three sending the game to overtime rather than a Laker victory.

In reality, though, the two charges alone that Dozier took essentially made his four misses a wash, and the intangible momentum he created with his play isn’t something that shows up on the stat sheet.

In terms of plus-minus, Dozier was a +4 until the AD three, and while plus-minus is a rightly flawed stat since one can merely exist alongside greatness and appear to be a positive, Dozier’s impact was visible throughout his time on the court.

Starting from a little over nine minutes left in the fourth, Dozier made a series of game-changing plays. He first got the ball off a handoff, turned the corner, and looked off Markieff Morris before throwing an on-point lob to Mason Plumlee for the easy two. Immediately after, he positioned himself to help off the weak-side and took a charge on Kuzma to create an empty possession for the Lakers, and a quick four-point swing.

A minute later, he grabbed a defensive rebound, weaved through the entire Laker defense on the break, and took the ball right at Morris to go to the line for two.

Two minutes after that, he took a First Team All-NBA and All-Defensive player in Anthony Davis off the dribble for the bump and the bucket. A couple of minutes later, he took a charge on LeBron James and blocked the King’s layup attempt a minute after that. Directly after the block, he ran the floor and went right at Davis again and was sent to the line for two.

Spectators can harp on his missed free throws all they want, but Dozier is supplying the Nuggets with the type of fearless energy that they’ll need to take game three. Dozier has scarcely played in these playoffs, and by showing that he isn’t afraid to take it right to an opponent’s best, he’s setting a higher standard for the rest of the team to meet going forward.