Nuggets-Grizzlies Preview

By JORDAN GARRETSON
Posted Nov 18 2012 5:03PM

With eight straight wins, the Memphis Grizzlies are in uncharted territory.

Memphis (8-1) owns the best record in the NBA for the first time in the franchise's 17-year history, and it will look to keep rolling during a five-game homestand against struggling teams that starts with the Denver Nuggets on Monday night.

The Grizzlies picked up double-digit victories over Miami, Oklahoma City and New York in a six-day span before beating Charlotte 94-87 on Saturday. Memphis snapped the Bobcats' three-game winning streak, 24 hours after dealing the Knicks their first loss.

After Denver, the Grizzlies face the Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland, Toronto and Detroit. None of those teams has a record over .500.

Balance has been a big reason for Memphis' success. Rudy Gay leads the team with 19.8 points per game, but three other players are averaging in double figures. Six Grizzlies have led the team in scoring at least once.

"I think these last two games have really distinguished what kind of personality this team has right now," said point guard Mike Conley, who scored a game-high 20 against the Bobcats. "We're really playing together as a team."

Every Memphis starter scored at least 12 on Saturday.

The Grizzlies are averaging more than 25 free-throw attempts - near the top of the league - and making 82.4 percent of them. Memphis is also forcing 16.2 turnovers a game, having recorded at least 10 in 113 consecutive contests for the longest active streak in the NBA.

The Grizzlies scored 25 points off 18 Charlotte turnovers.

"We've been playing extremely well and defending as a team," coach Lionel Hollins said. "That was the key to us winning tonight."

The Nuggets (4-6) have lost three straight for the second time this season, falling 126-100 at San Antonio on Saturday for their most lopsided defeat of 2012-13. Denver allowed the Spurs to make 16 3-pointers.

"We never covered the ball so we had to help," coach George Karl said. "(The Spurs) moved the ball on the perimeter great. We have some guys that need to work a little better on defending, so we just need to learn how to defend out there much better."

Starters Ty Lawson and Danilo Gallinari have struggled to find their shooting touch. Lawson is making 38.3 percent from the field while Gallinari is hitting 34.4 percent, including a team-worst 21.4 from 3-point range.

Kenneth Faried has been one of the team's most reliable players after a slow start, averaging 16.6 points and 12.4 rebounds since the first two games.

"Personally I'm going to continue to do what I have to and I'm going to make sure my teammates follow suit," Faried told the Nuggets' official website. "We're going to play hard. My teammates believe that if we run and rebound and defend the three, we're going to be fine."

Memphis swept the three-game series with Denver last season, doing so by a total of seven points.

Nuggets end Grizzlies' streak at 8 with 97-92 win

By CLAY BAILEY
Posted Nov 20 2012 12:13AM

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Danilo Gallinari had suffered through an inconsistent shooting touch early this season, but he got untracked to help Denver end the Memphis Grizzlies' eight-game winning streak.

Gallinari scored a season-high 26 points, including a 3-pointer with 13 seconds left, and the Nuggets handed the Grizzlies only their second loss of the season with a 97-92 victory Monday night.

Gallinari entered the game shooting 34 percent from the field and 21 percent from outside the arc. He finished the night 7 of 15 from the field and 2 of 6 from long range. Gallinari's late 3-pointer came as Memphis had surrendered a lead in the final minutes. The shot from the wing, set up by a pass from point guard Ty Lawson, put the Nuggets up 96-92.

"I was just trying to be aggressive," Gallinari said. "That's what coach (George Karl) wants me to do in order to get to the free throw line. I was just trying to do that."

As for the 3-poiner that put the Grizzlies away, Gallinari said they ran a high pick-and-roll with him and Lawson, knowing the Grizzlies would have to pick one of them to guard. He was left open for the shot.

"I wasn't thinking about the shot before I got the ball," Gallinari said. "I was just reading the defense. The defense was not there. I was open, and when you are aggressive mentally, you don't think too much, you just follow your instinct. That was my thought."

JaVale McGee provided a second-half lift for Denver and finished with 15 points and eight rebounds. Kenneth Faried added 13 points and grabbed 13 boards to help the Nuggets outrebound Memphis 47-33.

"We were missing a lot of shots," Karl said of his team shooting 44 percent (36 of 81) from the field. "Kenneth is very confident there. That's his NBA talent; that's his skill (rebounding). I think he was challenged by (Memphis power forward Zach) Randolph being such a great offensive rebounder."

Denver, which snapped a three-game skid, also won the battle in the paint 50-44 and outscored the Grizzlies in second-chance points 21-16. In addition to dominating inside, the Nuggets also pressured the Grizzlies early, forcing Memphis out of its regular pace.

"That was a point of emphasis coach wanted me to do - pick up the ball early and just pressure (Memphis point guard Mike Conley)," said Lawson, who finished with nine points on 4-of-14 shooting. "If I'm not scoring or playing well on the offensive end, I'll pick it up on the defensive end."

The Nuggets handed the Grizzlies their first loss since dropping the season opener against the Los Angeles Clippers.

"We didn't come out at the beginning with a great effort defensively or offensively," Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said. "When you look at the rebounding, we got outrebounded by 14. We gave up 21 offensive rebounds, 20 second-chance point and we shot 17 3s. That's a recipe of getting beat, and we got beat."

Rudy Gay scored 22 points, Marc Gasol added 16 and Randolph had 12 points and 13 rebounds for Memphis.

"We have to play hard to win games," Gasol said. "We are not that good to just come out and be casual, make a shot, don't run back and don't rebound because we are not that good."

The Nuggets closed the game on a 9-0 run, with Gallinari scoring six points in the final two minutes, including the 3-pointer, which was set up when he intercepted a pass by Gay on the Grizzlies' end of the floor.

Gallinari connected on five of his first six shots and all four of his free throws in the first half to help the Nuggets carry a 52-49 lead into the break.

Gay led Memphis with 11 points at the half.

Neither team led by more than five in the opening two quarters, with eight lead changes and nine ties. There ended up being 12 ties and 12 lead changes in a tight game.

Memphis opened the second half with a 12-4 run, but McGee had eight points in the frame to cut the Grizzlies' advantage to 70-69 entering the fourth.

Denver would carry its rally into the final frame with eight straight points, including six by Faried. The two teams would continue exchanging leads throughout the fourth, and were still tied at 87 with 3:35 left.

Memphis took a 92-88 lead on Randolph's tip-in with 2:14 left, but the Grizzlies didn't score again.

It was a nice recovery for the Nuggets, who were coming off a poor showing in a 126-100 loss at San Antonio on Thursday night.

"We played our worst game of the year in San Antonio," Karl said. "Our guys, most of the time, have showed a big heart. .This was the first game on the road where I think we executed at a high level both offensively and defensively."

As for the impact of Gallinari's 3-pointer, Lawson added: "We've had a rough 10 games. For that shot to go in was big for us, for our morale. To get a big one like this is huge."

NOTES: The Grizzlies ended up matching the franchise-best eight-game winning streak from January 2004. ... The loss also snapped Memphis' 15-game regular-season winning streak at home. ... Denver had lost three straight to the Grizzlies, all last year by a total of seven points. ... Denver has outrebounded its opponents in nine of the last 10 games. ... The NBA announced before the game that Randolph was fined $25,000 for his confrontation with Kendrick Perkins after both were ejected from a game in Oklahoma City last week. .Faried's 13points and 13 rebounds marked his seventh double-double of the season. ..Randolph has double-doubles in all 10 of Memphis' games this season.

Notebook: Nuggets 97, Grizzlies 92

Marlon W. Morgan, For NBA. com
Posted Tue Nov 20, 2012 12:02 AM - Updated Tue Nov 20, 2012 12:02 AM

THE FACTS: The Denver Nuggets played like the Memphis Grizzlies Monday night, with the result being Grizzly-like as well. Denver dominated the boards and the paint, while scoring 29 points off turnovers and was able to do what only one other team has done in 10 games -- beat the Grizzlies, 97-92. The win not only snapped Denver's three-game losing streak, but it also ended the Grizzlies' eight-game winning streak. The Grizzlies also saw their franchise-record, 15-game regular season home winning streak snapped. Danilo Gallinari led the Nuggets with a game-high 26 points, while Kenneth Faried added another double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds.

QUOTABLE: "It was coming. Today we got what we deserved. The last game we didn't play that well, but the other team wasn't as talented as this team is. When you play with fire, sometimes you get burned."

-- Grizzlies center Marc Gasol

THE STAT: The last couple of seasons, it's been the Grizzlies who were among the NBA's best at grabbing offensive rebounds and scoring in the paint. This year, that's been the Nuggets' calling card as they lead the NBA in both categories. They showed why Monday night, scoring 50 points in the paint with the help of grabbing 21 offensive rebounds. That led to a 47-33 edge on the boards.

TURNING POINT: The Grizzlies looked as if they were about to squeak out a hard-fought win when Zach Randolph's putback with 2:13 left gave them a 92-88 lead. But a 9-0 run to end the game, aided by three straight Memphis turnovers, allowed the Nuggets to come back for the win. Gallinari scored six of those points, including a big 3-pointer with 12.7 seconds left to give Denver a four-point cushion.

QUOTABLE II: "This is the first game on the road where I think we executed at a high level both offensively and defensively. We have to start shooting better. We were celebrating shooting 70 percent from the free throw line today. We've got to get better at making shots and I think we will once we win games, and I think confidence comes by winning."

-- Denver coach George Karl

HOT: Gallinari's 26 points were a season-high. He did he damage from both the inside and outside as he drove the basket and also hit a pair of 3's. Gallinari, who was 7-for-16 from the floor, was also 10-for-11 at the free throw line.

NOT: Denver point guard Ty Lawson continued his continued his rough start to the season. He was 4-for-14 from the floor, finishing with nine points and four assists. Lawson came into the game shooting just 38 percent from the floor and averaging 12 points. He did, however, come up with four offensive rebounds.

NOTABLE: The last regular season home loss for the Grizzlies was on March 16 when they lost to Toronto in overtime. ... Randolph managed to keep his double-double streak alive with 12 points and 13 boards. He has a double-double in all 10 games this season. But Randolph was nearly invisible in the fourth quarter with just two points and two rebounds. ... Gasol was also a ghost with no points and one rebound in the fourth after scoring 16 with five rebounds through three quarters. ... Rudy Gay led the Grizzlies with 22 points. ... JaVale McGee was big off the bench for Denver, scoring 15 points and grabbing eight rebounds, five on the offensive end. He was a key figure in the fourth quarter with five points and five rebounds.

UP NEXT: For the Nuggets, Wednesday @ Minnesota, Friday vs. Golden State, Sunday vs. New Orleans. For the Grizzlies, Friday vs. L.A. Lakers, Monday vs. Cleveland, Wednesday vs. Toronto.

• Nuggets: Chandler, Miller
• Grizzlies: Wroten

• Nuggets: --
• Grizzlies: Allen

• Lead Changes: 12
• Times Tied: 12

• Arena: FedExForum, Memphis, TN
• Officials: #25 Tony Brothers, #31 Scott Wall, #68 Marat Kogut
• Attendance: 15111
• Duration: 2:12