In his one-game comeback, Nikola Jokic scored 29 points, pulled down 11 rebounds, and disheveled eight assists, helping the host Denver Nuggets defeat the struggling Memphis Grizzlies 128-103 on Monday night.
For Denver (51-21), which is 15-2 since the All-Star break, Christian Braun scored 17 points, Reggie Jackson had 15, Julian Strawther scored 14, Michael Porter Jr. and Justin Holiday finished with 11 apiece.
For the Nuggets, who lead the Western Conference by one game over the Oklahoma City Thunder, Peyton Watson finished with ten points and ten rebounds.
The Grizzlies (24–48) were led by Lamar Stevens (19 points), Scotty Pippen Jr. (17 points), Desmond Bane (15 points), and GG Jackson (11 points). It was Memphis’ fifth loss in as many games.
Crucial players were absent for both clubs. Luke Kennard and Yuta Watanabe were not with Memphis due to personal reasons. For the second straight game, Denver was without Jamal Murray (ankle), and Aaron Gordon was sidelined because of plantar fasciitis.
After one quarter, the Nuggets led 39–24, and they widened the deficit in the second. After the Grizzlies scored the first two baskets of the quarter, Denver made four straight free throws, and Jackson and Strawther quickly followed with back-to-back 3-pointers to increase the advantage to 49-29.
After Pippen’s three-pointer, the score was still tied at twenty points, but Porter and Braun both sank deep shots, Jokic added a three-pointer, and the Nuggets took a 67-38 lead with a few minutes remaining in the second quarter.
Denver had a 69-44 lead at the half, and before Memphis mounted a comeback, the lead had increased to 28 early in the third quarter.
Midway through the third quarter, GG Jackson scored seven straight points, Pippen and Jaren Jackson Jr. made three-pointers, and Bane dunked off a steal to cut the advantage to 81-66.
With Jokic sitting on the bench, the Nuggets calmed down and outscored the Grizzlies 18-10 for the remainder of the quarter to easily win. — Reuters/Field Level Media
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