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Grizzlies Stifle Nuggets Offense, Win 105-98

By Christopher Dempsey

No team can force a power outage of the Nuggets offense quite like Memphis can. In a season of pinball-like scoring, point totals in the 120s and 130s, the Grizzlies have proven to be the Nuggets kryptonite, and Sunday was no different.

The Grizzlies defeated the Nuggets 105-98 at the Pepsi Center. It is the fourth straight time they’ve won in Denver – and in three of those meetings they’ve held the Nuggets under 100 points. No other team has been able to do that.

In the end, it was too much Mike Conley and Marc Gasol. The two scored 20 of Memphis’ first 30 points in the fourth quarter, and those totals were enough to lift the Grizzlies to the win and a three-game sweep of the season series. Meanwhile, the Nuggets take solace in the fact that they continue to maintain their position in the eighth spot of the Western Conference playoff race

The Flow: After a first quarter in which the Nuggets struggled to get out and run, they were able to get pace into the game in the second quarter. It started with getting stops and then running off of them. The Nuggets tried to run off of some makes as well. Danilo Gallinari ran the court well, sprinting down to get early position in the paint and the resulting one-on-one matchup. It worked, but so did Gallo’s ability to get to the free throw line. He made seven trips to the charity stripe in the first half and made six.

Meanwhile, the Nuggets found a pace they liked in the second quarter. They had eight fast break points, and getting out in transition was fueled by getting turnovers. The Nuggets forced five Memphis turnovers and converted those into seven points, many of which came in transition. Gallinari and Gary Harris scored 17 consecutive points at one stretch in the period.

The Nuggets started the third on a 15-6 run to take a six-point lead, their biggest of the game…and then went cold. They missed their next eight shots and did not score a point from the 6:04 mark until 58 seconds remained. But they rebounded a bit and when Will Barton hit a 3-pointer, the Nuggets knocked down two of their last three shots to end the third tied at 68. Defense helped them weather the offensive storm, as the Nuggets held Memphis to 36.8 percent shooting from the field in the third. 

But the Nuggets’ cold offense continued into the fourth, and this time Memphis took full advantage. Mike Conley scored 10 of the Grizzlies first 19 points of the period and they took control of the game. Then, in true Memphis style, they ground the game to a halt and made plays to keep themselves out front.

Deciding run: The Grizzlies and Nuggets were tied at 68 going into the fourth. Memphis started the quarter on a 14-6 run, and took a lead that they never relinquished.

What it means: The Nuggets lost some cushion but maintained its lead in the eight spot of the Western Conference playoff race.

Nuggets standouts: Danilo Gallinari had 24 points and four rebounds… Gary Harris finished with 19 and made three 3-pointers. … Wilson Chandler scored 14 points with nine rebounds and six assists. … Nikola Jokic had 10 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. … Jameer Nelson had 12 points and four assists. … Jamal Murray finished with 11 points, four rebounds.

Stat of the game: Memphis had 13 offensive rebounds leading to 21 second-chance points.

Next: The Nuggets start the first of back-to-back road games on Tuesday at Chicago.