Key Stat of the Night
- Denver outscored Memphis 35-15 in the fourth quarter, erasing a 25-point third-quarter deficit in what was the largest blown lead in Grizzlies regular season history.
- Memphis shot just 5-of-21 from the field (.238), 1-for-7 from three-point range (.143) and 4-of-8 from the free throw line (.500) in the final period and committed six of its 20 turnovers, which led to nine points for Denver. The Nuggets shot 13-for-21 (.619) from the field and 4-of-10 from long range (.400).
Key Run of the Night
- Memphis led 79-60 with 11:43 left in the game after Jaren Jackson Jr. started the fourth quarter with an 11-foot floater. The Grizzlies would miss 13 of their next 14 field goal attempts however, allowing the Nuggets to go on a 21-6 run to make it a four-point game (84-81) with 2:50 remaining.
- Denver scored six straight points, punctuated by a Will Barton three-pointer with 43.5 seconds on the clock, to take its first lead of the game (91-89). Justin Holiday put Memphis back in front with a corner three-pointer on the next possession, but Nikola Jokic scored in the paint on Denver’s next play to give the Nuggets the lead (93-92) for good.
Game Recap
After leading by as much as 25, the Memphis Grizzlies suffered the worst regular-season comeback loss in franchise history, falling to the Denver Nuggets, 95-92, on Monday night in FedExForum. The Grizzlies fell to 20-31 on the season while the Nuggets improved to 34-15 on the year. Denver also won the season series 2-1.
The Grizzlies’ offense struggled in the fourth quarter, making only 5-of-21 (.238) shots from the floor and 1-of-7 (.143) from three to score just 15 points, setting a season-low for points in the final period. The Nuggets shot an effective 13-for-21 (.619) overall and made 4-of-10 (.400) threes. Memphis committed six turnovers in the final quarter, leading to 10 Denver points.
Memphis’ previous largest blown lead happened on April 4, 2003 against the Los Angeles Lakers, when they surrendered a 23-point lead to lose 102-101.
Marc Gasol led all scorers with 28 points, one shy of matching his season high, to go along with nine rebounds. Mike Conley tallied his seventh double-double of the season, scoring 23 points and passing out a game-high 11 assists. Jaren Jackson Jr. added eight points, seven rebounds, three blocks and a pair of steals before fouling out.
Denver went on a 9-0 run from 4:12 to 2:33 (1:39 run) in the fourth quarter, cutting the Grizzlies’ lead to 85-81. With 43.5 left in the game, Barton hit a 26-foot trey to give Denver its first lead of the game at 91-89. After the Grizzlies used their final timeout, Justin Holiday responded with a three of his own – the only one in the quarter for Memphis – to re-take the lead, 92-91, with 36.3 remaining. Down by two, Memphis failed to score after turning the ball over and were forced to foul with 2.5 seconds left, sealing the game.
Despite only scoring seven points in the final 7:00 and turning the ball over seven times, the Grizzlies lost the third period by just two points, taking a 77-60 lead into the final frame.
Nikola Jokic led Denver with 28 points, scoring 19 of them in the second half, to go with nine rebounds. Jokic has led the team in scoring 22 times this season. Will Barton added 20 points while Malik Beasley scored 18 off the bench. Gary Harris rounded out the scoring with 11.
The Grizzlies shot 35-for-78 (.449) in the game while the Nuggets were 37-for-85 (.435). Both teams had difficulty beyond the arc, with Memphis making 9-of-32 (.281) threes and Denver finishing 8-of-36 (.222). The Grizzlies committed 20 turnovers, which led to 29 points for the Nuggets, while Denver had 15 giveaways, leading to 12 Grizzlies points. It’s the fourth time this season Memphis has had at least 20 turnovers in a game (0-4).
Memphis had one of their best first halves of the season, shooting 25-for-42 (7-17 3P) from the floor. Denver was held to 17-of-45 (4-19 3P) shooting in the half. Gasol was dominant in the first half, scoring almost as many points (21) as Denver’s entire starting five (27). Gasol’s 21 points were also the most by a Grizzlies player in any half this season.
The Grizzlies were hot out of the gate, opening the game with 16-2 run from 11:46 to 7:54. Memphis shot 12-for-23 (5-12 3P) in the quarter, while the defense held Denver to 7-of-23 (2-11 3P) shooting. Gasol in particular was zoned in, scoring 14 points on 6-of-9 (2-4 3P) shooting in the quarter to help the Grizzlies lead 30-16. Gasol’s 14 points and six baskets were both season-highs for him in a first quarter.
Memphis’ momentum carried over into the second quarter, making 13-of-19 (.684) shots, setting a season-high for field goal percentage in a second quarter. The Nuggets improved in the second, shooting 10-for-22 (.455) and scoring nine points off of five Grizzlies turnovers, but made just 2-of-8 (.250) threes in the quarter. The Grizzlies scored 18 of their 30 second-quarter points in the paint to build a 60-41 lead at halftime.
Next Game
The Grizzlies will embark on a three-game road trip, starting with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, January 30 at Target Center at 7 p.m. CT. Tune in to FOX Sports Southeast presented by Pinnacle Financial Partners or listen on 92.9 FM ESPN to follow the action.
Fans who want to support the Memphis Grizzlies and purchase single-game tickets or 10-Game Flex Packs can do so now by calling (901) 888-HOOP or going online to grizzlies.com/tickets. Single Game Tickets are also available for purchase at the FedExForum Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, ticketmaster.com, online at grizzlies.com/tickets or by calling 1-800-4NBA-TIX. For more information on the Grizzlies, ‘like’ Memphis Grizzlies on Facebook or follow on Twitter and Instagram (@memgrizz).
Team Quotes
Player Notes
- Marc Gasol led all scorers with 28 points to go along with nine rebounds. Gasol, who finished one point shy of matching his season-high scoring total, posted his 12th 20-point game of the season. Gasol’s 21 points in the first half were the most by a Grizzlies player in any half this season.
- Mike Conley tallied his seventh double-double of the season, scoring 23 points and passing out a game-high 11 assists.
- Jaren Jackson Jr. added eight points, seven rebounds, three blocks and a pair of steals.
- Nikola Jokic led Denver with 28 points, scoring 19 of them in the second half, to go with nine rebounds. Jokic has led the team in scoring 22 times this season.
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