Jamal Murray took over late, Nikola Jokic kept the whole thing humming, and the Denver Nuggets walked out with a 123-118 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on a night when Memphis again couldn’t protect home floor.
The Grizzlies dropped to 7-4 overall and 2-4 at home, and the closing sequence left them with plenty to stew on. Jokic missed a free throw with 13.9 seconds left that would have pushed Denver ahead by four and nearly sealed it. Tuomas Iisalo did not call timeout, and Cam Boozer launched a wild three-pointer that looked like he was trying to draw a foul.
😶 pic.twitter.com/mkVcXn208V https://t.co/Ih1XTdYYMm
Memphis had already spent much of the night chasing the game. Denver came out firing, scoring 35 points in the first quarter and shooting 58 percent from the field and 47 percent from three in the first half. Jokic kept finding clean looks for teammates, and the Grizzlies were slow to rotate out to shooters.
Nikola can see the play before you 👀 pic.twitter.com/ITKnWDmsax
The Nuggets looked comfortable from the jump, and Memphis had trouble forcing turnovers or getting back in transition. That put even more weight on an offense that doesn’t have much shot-creation versatility. Ty Jerome had a heavy load as the primary creator, while Cedric Coward and Boozer showed promise but were not yet in a place to be leaned on the same way.
Denver stretched the margin to 42-24 early in the second quarter, and the game was threatening to get away from Memphis the way last week’s matchup with Oklahoma City did. But this time the Grizzlies answered. They battled back enough to make it a real game, even after a rough first half on defense.
After Denver’s hot shooting start, Memphis held the Nuggets to 42.4 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from three the rest of the way. That second-half response gave the Grizzlies a chance, even if the first-half damage was already done.
Murray was the difference-maker in the final period. He scored 17 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter and finished 12-for-19 from the floor. He kept burying difficult jumpers even with Jaylen Wells contesting well, and it was the kind of shotmaking that can tilt a game on its own.
Jokic was right there with him. He finished with 27 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists on 10-for-16 shooting, and he drove Denver’s offense through the first half. Together, Jokic and Murray were exactly what this Nuggets team needs from them.
JAMAL MURRAY: NIKOLA JOKIC:30 POINTS 27 POINTS4 REBOUNDS 11 REBOUNDS8 ASSISTS 8 ASSISTS 12/19 FGM 10/16 FGM32 MINUTES 37 MINUTES UNREAL DUO. 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/dBiTVrcmvF
Iisalo’s substitution choices were again part of the story. His habit of pulling starters in the middle of the first quarter came under the microscope once more, especially with Jokic and Murray staying on the floor for the first nine minutes of the opening period.
Memphis went to Cam Spencer, Taylor Hendricks and Javon Small about halfway through the quarter for Jerome, Coward and Zach Edey, and the Grizzlies finished the period with Small, Spencer, GG Jackson, Jerami Grant and Isaiah Stewart. Denver, meanwhile, had Jokic, DeMar DeRozan, Spencer Jones, Trevon Brazile and Tyus Jones on the floor, with Murray alongside Jokic for that long opening stretch.
That edge helped Denver build a 35-24 lead after one and fuel a 29-11 run from the 5:35 mark in the first quarter to the 10:07 mark in the second.
Jerome still gave Memphis a fighting chance. He scored 20 or more for the fifth straight game and came in averaging 26.7 points per game. The small sample size and his history as a bench player have raised questions about whether that level can hold, but he kept producing.
Ty Jerome keeping the Grizz in it pic.twitter.com/00fAdAFd5S
He added 11 points in the fourth quarter and continued to strengthen his case as one of the league’s best clutch-time players so far this season. With free agency coming in the offseason, Jerome is putting himself in position for a strong payday.
In Other News...
Grizzlies Stand To Lose Big From A Jazz Draft Collapse
The Grizzlies have a little more riding on Utahs long-term fortunes than most teams, thanks to an extra first-rounder they own in 2027. Under the NBAs new draft lottery system, though, Memphis no longer has the same kind of upside it once might have had if the Jazz continue to stumble, which matters because the Grizzlies have been trying to build every possible edge into their asset stockpile.
Memphis was the lone team to vote against the new setup, and the reason is easy to see from its perspective. The rules now place a ceiling on how much the Grizzlies can gain from a Jazz collapse in the draft order, turning what could have been a major windfall into something far more limited and leaving one of Memphis future assets tied to a system it clearly never wanted in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
Grizzlies Walk Into A Short-Handed NBA Cup Test In New Orleans
The NBA Cup brings Memphis into New Orleans at a time when both teams are trying to patch together a workable rotation. The Pelicans are looking to snap a four-game losing streak, but their injury report has kept the focus on availability as much as on the matchup itself, with several regulars listed as doubtful and the game carrying a little extra edge because of the tournament setting.
Memphis is dealing with its own short-handed situation, too, which makes this feel less like a clean measuring-stick game and more like a test of depth and adaptability. With key bodies missing on both sides, the Grizzlies will have to navigate a road environment that could hinge on which group can settle in faster, and New Orleans will be hoping the uncertainty around its lineup does not linger once the ball is tipped. [Read more 🡒]