It took awhile, but it seems like the Q score for Will Barton among Denver Nuggets fans is finally where it needs to be.
On Wednesday night, the Nuggets needed a savior. Without Nikola Jokić due to a one-game suspension, Michael Porter Jr. due to an ambiguous back injury, and Jamal Murray to recovery from ACL surgery, there were legitimate questions about whether the Nuggets could score 90 points tonight. Denver’s offense has been subpar to start the year, and that was before Jokić, the reigning MVP, was forced to sit.
Barton not only helped Denver score 90+ points. but he carried them across the finish line in tonight’s 101-98 win over the Indiana Pacers. The starting shooting guard scored 30 points, grabbed six rebounds, and dished out three assists, leading the way with his ability to score off the dribble and manufacture baskets out of thin air. Barton shot 11-of-19 from the field tonight, including 6-of-9 from three. After Monday’s performance with seven made threes and tonight with six, Barton is shooting 43.3% from three-point range on the season. He has become a lethal jump shooter, and that has opened up driving lanes for himself and others.
More than anything, Barton’s willingness to step up and be the guy tonight should be celebrated by Nuggets fans. There’s often criticism of Barton overshooting at times, but it’s this ability to create something out of nothing, willing the team to victory in a tough situation, that should endear him to fans for a long, long time. His baskets tonight were clutch, including the game-deciding basket that he made over Domantas Sabonis in the pick and roll.
Make sure to check out the highlights below from Barton’s fantastic performance:
