Gary Harris’ offense can wait. After nearly six months away from NBA basketball, thanks to the COVID pandemic and a nagging hip injury, it would’ve been foolish to expect his rhythm to return, in an elimination game in the playoffs no less.
Instead, over the course of Game 6 and Tuesday’s thrilling Game 7, Harris did what he does best; he put the clamps on whoever had the unfortunate task of trying to take him off the dribble.
Up 80–78 with 13 seconds left, Game 7 flipped on a defining defensive sequence that Harris played brilliantly. As Jazz superstar Donovan Mitchell stepped into the backcourt and bought himself a head of steam, Harris looked around and made sure no screens would blindside him. It was just him vs. Mitchell, the NBA’s postseason scoring leader at over 36 points per game, on an island.
Mitchell spun to his right, momentarily created separation, and it was then that Harris came from nowhere and poked the ball away from Mitchell’s grasp.
Here’s Gary Harris poking away Utah’s season. pic.twitter.com/8td50Wl6lO
— Mike Singer (@msinger) September 2, 2020
“The reason I have such an affinity for Gary Harris is because I feel he’s one of the better two-way players in the NBA,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “… Even in the huddle before that last play, he knew what Donovan was going to do.”
That set off a wild sequence that nearly ended in disaster, but ultimately, punched Denver’s ticket to the conference semifinals.
“Some people will look at this box score and say Gary Harris struggled, he was 1‑of‑9 from the field,” Malone said. “But we don’t win this game without Gary. We only scored 30 points in the second half but our defense was phenomenal and Gary was a big part of that. … His offense is going to come in this next series, that is the next step in terms of getting back and playing. But his defense, his containment, his one-on-one pride is outstanding.”
Ask Jazz reserve Jordan Clarkson, who before Harris returned in Game 6 had carved up the Nuggets’ second unit. Against Clarkson, Harris turned into a 6‑foot‑3 boa constrictor.
As fantastic as Gary Harris’ defense was on Mitchell with 13 seconds to go, I can’t get over what he did to Clarkson right here. His closeout looks like it’s in fast-forward. pic.twitter.com/y1dSzKugyq
— Mike Singer (@msinger) September 2, 2020
After suffering a hip strain shortly after arriving in Orlando, Malone wasn’t even sure Harris would be able to return in the first round. He made sure not to put any pressure on Harris, even as the Nuggets’ perimeter defenders were getting torched from the 3‑point line. Finally, Harris gave him the word.
“I kept on telling him, ‘Gary, when you’re ready to play, I’m ready to play you,” Malone said.
Malone’s patience paid dividends in the form of two blocks and that game-saving steal.
Harris’ play was emblematic of a larger theme. Whenever the Nuggets defended, they won. Over the final three games of the series, when the Nuggets became just the 12th team in NBA history to come back from a 3–1 deficit, the Jazz averaged 97 points on just 44% from the field. In the first four games, Utah averaged 125 points on 51% shooting from the field.
But as much as Malone gushed about Harris’ effort, the most praise came from his teammate Jamal Murray, who’d himself gone ballistic on the offensive end.
“Defense, to not play for six months, come back and make that kind of impact in two games, that’s first team (All-Defense) right there,” Murray said. “He’s the best defender I know. When he guards me in practice, there’s nobody in the NBA that guards me better than Gary. And you can see it when he’s out on the court. He’s like a football player the way he moves his feet. … His anticipation, he’s got quick hands, he’s got the whole package on defense. He was a game-changer for us.”
Whatever Harris can offer on offense against the Clippers is a bonus. His defense, even after nearly half a year off, is so devastating it can swing a series.