George Karl's tenure as coach of the Denver Nuggets has been defined by fast-paced offense and lackluster defense.

With a playoff spot on the line, however, Karl appears willing to concede that his club's play on the defensive end could be a factor in the final three weeks of the season.

After praising his team's latest defensive effort, Karl hopes the Nuggets can stop a team that's suddenly clicking offensively as they visit the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday.

The Nuggets have ranked in the top five in scoring in both of Karl's full seasons at the helm, but have finished in the bottom eight in scoring defense in both of those campaigns. They're on pace for a similar finish this season, scoring 109.3 points (third) and giving up 105.6 (tied for 26th).

On Sunday, however, Karl seemed most impressed with his team's defense after Denver (42-28) beat Toronto 109-100. Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin helped hold Raptors All-Star Chris Bosh to 6-for-16 shooting.

"Kenyon Martin's defense on Bosh was incredible and got better as the game went on," Karl said. "You win games with stops more than making shots. I thought Kenyon was the star of the game."

That's high praise from a coach who had two players top 30 points. Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony had 36 and 33, respectively, while combining to shoot 25-for-44 from the field. Like Karl, however, Iverson credited the team's defense for feeding its offense.

"Once we got it together on the defensive end we were able to run and not have to play the half-court offense," said Iverson, shooting 56.8 percent from the field and 53.3 percent (8-for-15) from 3-point range in his last six games. "We just wanted it more than they did at the end."

Denver's victory on Sunday helped it keep pace with Golden State, which won later Sunday night to maintain a 1 1/2 game lead over the Nuggets for the eighth playoff spot in the loaded Western Conference.

The Nuggets have 12 games remaining in the regular season to find a way into the West's top eight, including seven against teams currently ahead of them in the race.

The Nuggets also have two games left against the lowly Grizzlies (18-51), but they may have caught Memphis at the wrong time.

The Grizzlies have won back-to-back games for the second time this season, and are seeking their first three-game win streak since they won their final three games last season - a run that started with a 133-118 victory over the Nuggets.

Rudy Gay had 24 points to lead seven Memphis players in double figures as the Grizzlies shot 50.6 percent in a 117-111 win over Sacramento on Saturday night.

"We're playing well offensively, making shots and shooting a high percentage," said reserve guard Kyle Lowry, who added 10 points and 5 assists. "Everything is quick. We're moving the ball and looking good out there."

Gay is averaging 24.3 points and 7.0 rebounds in his last three games after being held to fewer than 10 points in two of his previous three contests. He had 30 points and 10 boards against the Nuggets on Jan. 30, but the Grizzlies fell short in the 106-102 loss.

Memphis didn't fare as well offensively on March 12, when it shot 35.6 percent in a 108-86 loss in Denver. Martin led the Nuggets with 23 points in that game.

These teams meet in their regular-season finale in Denver on April 16.