The Nuggets earned a much needed road victory in Memphis on Friday night. It snapped a two-game losing streak and kept the Denver squad clinging to the eighth playoff spot in the West.
The Nuggets were led by Gary Harris with 26. Will Barton, coming off the bench with the return of Paul Millsap to the starting lineup, added 24.
Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets posted 24 turnovers and struggled to beat a depleted Memphis team that only suited 10 players.
Millsap, in his first starting action since November 19th, put up solid numbers with 15 points, seven rebounds, an assist, four steals and a block. His leadership on the defensive end helped a team that had been surrendering almost 120 points per game lately. The Nuggets held the Grizzlies to 102.
Marc Gasol led the Memphis team with 22. He added nine rebounds and handed out five assists in the loss. There was a second-half scare when Gasol turned his ankle on a drive, but he returned to action immediately.
Jamal Murray continued to contribute on the defensive end with three steals. Murray’s offensive game seemed to take a back seat as the team works to integrate yet another starting lineup. He posted only two of the Nuggets 24 turnovers in 27 minutes of action before fouling out. The reduced minute load should have Jamal fresh for the marquee matchup with the Cavaliers tonight.
There is hope that this was more than an ugly contest against a team that did not win one contest in the month of February. With the revamped Cavaliers looming, hopefully the Nuggets seeming disinterest in the details of the game were some bit of planned response to the back-to-back.
Of note, the Nuggets have 14 back-to-back situations on the schedule. Three of them have the Cavs, Warriors and Rockets on the back-end. Coupled with recent news about the Nuggets treatment by NBA officiating and it’s hard not to feel the deck has, to some extent, been purposely stacked against this young squad. Also worth mentioning the March17-30 brutal road trip. That trip is the longest the Nuggets have faced since the strike-shortened 2011-12 season.
If there was not some design to last night’s game, there is greater concern in Nuggets Nation that perhaps we thought. Every game from here until the end of the season is must-win. The collapse against the Clippers was a concern.
Jokic has regressed and seems to be showing signs of frustration with officiating. After an earlier decision to disengage from criticism, Nikola has been overwhelmed by the lack of respect he is getting from the League. There was a play where he drove left and Gasol locked up his left arm as he went up. Nikola lost the ball, Grizzlies recovered and Jokic intentionally fouled the ball. It’s a play we could describe in every game this season, it seems.
While Jokic has maintained his composure, for the most part, he is 23. The League has decided the “book” on The Joker is to body him up, be rough, make him work. A strategy that works, often in this league with big men, it exposes a player that can survive through size and force (think Shaq). Nikola is too skilled to be beaten with brute force, a fact that NBA officiating will come around on (think Dirk) but he’s in that “earn your respect” period that has to wear on the Serbian star.
Next: Nuggets vs. Grizzlies: Match up to watch
On to Cleveland, hopefully rested enough to bring some of that relentless Nuggets style to The Land and The King.
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