Grizzlies-Nuggets Preview

By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
Posted Dec 13 2012 10:22PM

The Memphis Grizzlies may not be very jolly, but they're seemingly in a giving mood this holiday season.

The Grizzlies will likely need to take better care of the ball if they're going to avoid a three-game slide and win consecutive road meetings against the Denver Nuggets for the first time Friday night.

Although they still have one of the best records in the league, the Grizzlies (14-5) have cooled off somewhat, losing three of five this month thanks in part to sloppy play. They're averaging 17.8 turnovers in that stretch after committing 14.1 during a 12-2 start.

The turnovers have been particularly concerning while losing the last two games as Memphis has been held to its lowest scoring outputs of the season.

The Grizzlies coughed the ball up 16 times in Saturday's 93-83 loss to Atlanta before adding one more in an 82-80 defeat at Phoenix, surrendering the decisive basket with 0.5 seconds left.

"That's our game - taking care of the ball, executing and getting up and down on the court and that's what we're not doing right now," said forward Zach Randolph, who's totaled 36 points and 23 rebounds the past two games. "These last two games we haven't been doing that."

Turnovers also plagued the Nuggets (11-12) on Wednesday, when they had 19 in a 108-105 loss to Minnesota to end a 2-3 road trip. Still, Ty Lawson had a chance at a game-tying 3 at the buzzer, but missed.

"We just didn't play an intelligent game," coach George Karl said. "To overcome those three areas of fundamentals and to have a shot to tie is pretty impressive."

That was the sixth loss in nine games for Denver, but only one of those contests came at home. Karl's team has won five of its league-low six games at Pepsi Center, averaging 106.0 points.

Kenneth Faried is averaging 15.0 points and 11.8 rebounds at home, compared to his 11.5 and 9.4 totals on the road. The second-year power forward hit 10 of 16 field goals and finished with 26 points and 14 boards against the Timberwolves.

"We lost. Any time we lose, it's a terrible game," Faried said. "You can't put stats on that or what you did well because it's a team effort."

He had 13 points and rebounds while matched up against Randolph in a 97-92 win at Memphis on Nov. 19.

Danilo Gallinari, who had a season-high 26 points in that meeting, scored 24 on 9 of 13 from the floor - 4 of 5 from beyond the arc - Wednesday. He shot 3 for 14 from long range over the previous four games, averaging 13.8 points.

The Grizzlies overcame 21 turnovers and Rudy Gay's 3-for-13 shooting performance in a 94-91 win in their most recent visit to Denver on March 11. That was just Memphis' fourth victory in 32 all-time road games against the Nuggets.

Miller leads Nuggets past Grizzlies

By DENNIS GEORGATOS
Posted Dec 15 2012 2:34AM

DENVER (AP) Down the stretch, the cool, assured play of the Denver Nuggets' oldest and most experienced player carried his team through the game's toughest moments.

Andre Miller scored each of his 18 points in the second half, including four free throws in the final 10.2 seconds, and the Nuggets edged the Memphis Grizzlies 99-94 on Friday night.

"He is amazing with some of the stuff he does and how he gets it done," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "We don't win this game without Andre Miller, without a question. It was a slow-down, drag, pull teeth, punch, grab, hold, kind of an old-school basketball game. I think it is a really classy win for us. It is a tough-minded win against a team that I think is going to be very, very successful this year."

Miller, who turns 37 in March, scored several key baskets on a series of fast breaks as the Nuggets' transition game flourished in the second half.

"It's just one of those games where some easy baskets just came to me; nothing was forced and that was just how the game played out," Miller said

Andre Iguodala scored 20 points for the Nuggets, who came off a grueling eight-day, five-game road trip to win their fourth in a row at home.

Rudy Gay had 21 points for Memphis, which has lost three straight games for the first time this season. Marreese Speights and Mike Conley scored 14 points apiece and Wayne Ellington had 11.

Gay said the Grizzlies would bounce back.

"This is where we show who we are. We're going to find a way to get out of this," he said.

The Grizzlies lost Darrell Arthur at the end of the first quarter when he was struck in the mouth while trying to rebound a missed free throw. Arthur lay on the floor for several minutes receiving treatment from medical personnel before being helped to his feet and walking to the locker room for additional treatment.

Trailing by four at the break, the Grizzlies evened the score at 69 on Ellington's 3-pointer that beat the third-quarter buzzer.

Ellington hit another 3-pointer with 7:22 remaining that put Memphis in front 81-80 but the next time down, JaVale McGee blocked a short jumper by Zach Randolph, starting a fast break that Ty Lawson finished with a go-ahead layup for the Nuggets.

Memphis regained the lead on a 19-foot jumper by Gay that made it 85-84, but Denver's Danilo Gallinari answered with a 3-pointer.

Gallinari, who finished with 14 points, added a pair of free throws with 3:09 remaining and Lawson hit two more 32 seconds later to stretch the Nuggets' advantage to four points.

After a pair of free throws by Marc Gasol, Iguodala rebounded Gallinari's missed jumper and put it back in before a Memphis turnover led to a Nuggets fast break that Iguodala finished with a jam for 95-89 lead with 1:33 remaining.

Gasol converted a three-point play to get the Grizzlies within one with 53.8 seconds left but the sides then traded turnovers and Miller was fouled with 10.2 seconds remaining. He made both free throws to give the Nuggets a three-point cushion.

"Andre Miller is clutch," McGee said. "He makes all of his free throws and does all the dirty work. He's a great player."

Gay's attempted 3-pointer with 5.9 seconds left rimmed out, and Miller made two more foul shots to secure the win.

"It felt good," Gay said of his near miss. "Got my timing down, my feet under me and shot it. Sometimes they go in, sometimes they don't.

"But I feel like we could have won this game, whether that shot went down or not. I think it was a couple of crucial plays that happened earlier in the fourth quarter. It shouldn't have come down to that last shot. With all due respect to that team - and they're a great team, they play hard - but I think we lost this game."

Lawson hit a 16-foot jumper with three seconds left in the second quarter to give the Nuggets, down by 10 earlier in the quarter, a 45-41 lead at halftime.

After a layup by McGee put the Nuggets in front 21-18, the Grizzlies put together a 13-0 run that featured three baskets by Speights and a 3-pointer by Ellington.

But the Nuggets got right back into it, scoring 10 of the next 13 points, including 3-pointers by Gallinari and Lawson.

NOTES: The game was preceded by a moment of silence in honor of the victims of a shooting at a Connecticut elementary school earlier in the day. ... The Nuggets' Wilson Chandler remains sidelined by a left hip injury. ... Gay has scored at least 14 points in a career-best 23 consecutive games, including all 20 this season. ... The Grizzlies' Jerryd Bayless tied a career high with 11 assists but was held scoreless for the first time this season, going 0 for 5 from the floor. ... Kosta Koufos (four) and McGee (four) combined for eight of the Nuggets' 10 blocked shots.

Notebook: Nuggets 99, Grizzlies 94

Michael Kelly, for NBA.com
Posted Sat Dec 15, 2012 2:42 AM - Updated Sat Dec 15, 2012 2:42 AM

THE FACTS: Andre Iguodala scored 20 points and had seven assists and five steals, Andre Miller scored all 18 of his points in the second half and the Denver Nuggets held on to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 99-94 in a rare home game for them.

Danilo Gallinari had 14 points and Ty Lawson 13 for the Nuggets, who were playing just their seventh home game of the season.

Rudy Gay led the Grizzlies with 21 points and Mike Conley and Marreese Speights had 14 each for Memphis, which has dropped three straight.

QUOTABLE: "We don't win this game without Andre Miller, without question. He is amazing with some of the stuff he does and how he gets it done."
-- Nuggets coach George Karl.

THE STAT: The Nuggets came into the game last in the league in free-throw shooting but went 23-for-26 from the line against Memphis.

TURNING POINT: The Grizzlies were down one but had the ball with a chance to take the lead. But Lawson stripped Gay as he drove into the lane and Miller got the ball. He sank two free throws to make it a three-point game, and after Gay missed a long 3 with 5 seconds left, Miller hit two more to ice the win.

QUOTABLE II: "Honestly it shouldn't have gotten to that point. I feel like we could have won this game. But whether that shot went down or not I think it was a couple of crucial plays that happened before, earlier in the fourth quarter."
-- Gay.

HOT: Miller in the second half. He came into the game, figured out what the team needed and dissected things. He went 6-for-10 from the field and 6-for-6 from the line, including the fourth free throws in the final 10 seconds to seal it.

QUOTABLE III: "It's just one of those games where some easy baskets just came to me. Nothing was forced and that's just how the game played out."
-- Miller.

NOT: Zach Randolph had been tearing up the league in December, averaging 21.2 points and 13.4 rebounds in his last five games. Thanks to some solid defense by the Nuggets' 7-footers, he was held to 10 points and five rebounds and didn't attempt a free throw. Marc Gasol, who came in averaging 15.7 points, finished with 10. The two combined to go 7-for-22 from the field.

INSIDE THE ARENA: Kid 'n Play, the 1990s hip-hop duo, performed at halftime as part of the Nuggets '90s night theme.

GOOD MOVE: Caught in the air without a solid shot after good defense by Speights, Gallinari passed the ball off the backboard to himself for a dunk that tied the game at 75 early in the fourth quarter.

GOOD MOVE II: JaVale McGee won style points with his fourth block of the night. He caught Randolph's short floater in mid-flight and started a fast break that led to a layup by Lawson and an 82-81 Denver lead. He was called for goaltending on a similar play against Minnesota on Wednesday.

QUOTABLE IV: "They haven't seen anybody do that before so they automatically think it's a goaltend. I told coach (Melvin) Hunt today I'm going to keep doing it until they realize it's not a goaltend. I'm just trying to keep the ball in play so I might as well grab it."
-- McGee.

BAD MOVE: The Nuggets continue to struggle with turnovers. They had 19 against Minnesota on Wednesday and had 20 more Friday, which led to 23 Memphis points.

NOTABLE: There was a moment of silence observed before the national anthem for the victims of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newton, Conn. ... Grizzlies forward Darrell Arthur was injured when he was hit in the mouth on an inadvertent elbow by McGee at the end of the first quarter. He did not return. ... Memphis reserve guard Jerryd Bayless had 11 assists but didn't score a point.

UP NEXT: For the Grizzlies, Saturday @ Utah, Monday vs. Chicago, Wednesday vs. Milwaukee. For the Nuggets, Saturday @ Sacramento, Tuesday vs. San Antonio, Thursday @ Portland.

• Grizzlies: Wroten
• Nuggets: Chandler, Stone

• Grizzlies: --
• Nuggets: --

• Lead Changes: 21
• Times Tied: 15

• Arena: Pepsi Center, Denver, CO
• Officials: #24 Mike Callahan, #16 David Guthrie, #74 Curtis Blair
• Attendance: 16367
• Duration: 2:31