The Memphis Grizzlies fell to the Denver Nuggets 87-78 at the Pepsi Center in Denver.
The Nuggets snapped a three-game skid behind Will Barton who led the way for the Nuggets with 17 points (5-12 FG, 3-6 3PT), 11 of which came in the second quarter as Denver rallied back from a 15-point first quarter deficit. Trey Lyles added 16 points off the bench (7-13 FG) and Nikola Jokic scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds. The Nuggets led 58-54 with 4:25 remaining in the third quarter before going on an 11-5 run and outscored the Grizzlies 24-13 in third quarter, entering the final frame quarter with seven-point lead.
Marc Gasol led all scorers, finishing with 22 points and a game-high 11 rebounds for his 18th double-double this season. Tyreke Evans and James Ennis III added 12 points apiece. Ennis scored 10 of his 12 points in the second quarter. The Grizzlies outscored the Nuggets in transition points 21-9 in the contest. Denver however, spent more time at the charity stripe tonight attempting twice as many as Memphis as they went 26 of 32 (81.2%) from the free throw line, while the Grizzlies were only 11 of 14 (78.6%).
Next Game
The Grizzlies return home for a special game Monday night as Memphis hosts the Los Angeles Lakers in the 16th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration Game. Tip-off is set for 4:30 p.m. CT. Tune in to FOX Sports Southeast presented by Pinnacle Financial Partners or listen on 92.9 FM ESPN.
Team Quotes
Player Notes
- Marc Gasol scored 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.
- James Ennis had 12 points.
- Tyreke Evans finished with 12 points and four assists.