Against an injury-riddled Grizzlies team, the Nuggets led by as many as 29 points while shooting 53.3 percent from the floor en route to a 128-103 victory Monday night at Ball Arena. Denver has won four straight games and improved to 14-2 since the All-Star break.
Nikola Jokic paced the Nuggets (51-21) with 29 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. Jokic, looking to win his third MVP award in four seasons, looked nearly unstoppable in the first quarter, tallying 16 points and four rebounds.
He finished the game shooting 11 of 18 from the floor.
Denver guard Christian Braun added 17 points and five rebounds. Forward Michael Porter Jr. had 11 points, while being held to fewer than 20 points for the second straight game. The Nuggets were 15 for 32 (46.9%) from behind the arc.
The Grizzlies (24-48), who saw their season derailed by injuries, had 12 players listed on the injury report, including six ruled out before Monday’s game.
Denver, however, is no stranger to the injury bug. Guards Jamal Murray (sprained left ankle) and Aaron Gordon (foot) did not play, forcing guards Reggie Jackson and Christian Braun to be inserted into the starting lineup.
With the playoffs approaching, head coach Michael Malone said before the game that he didn’t want to rush Murray — who has missed two straight games — following an ankle injury he suffered suffered in the final seconds of Denver’s victory against the New York Knicks last week. .
Although Malone thinks Murray has improved, he said the ankle is still swollen.
“When you combine the ankle with the shin splints and the knee, it’s dealing with a lot,” Malone said.
Malone knows Murray can play through pain, calling the goalie one of the toughest players physically and mentally. But at this point in the season, Malone wants to be smart and protect Murray, even from himself.
Malone added that the team will see how Murray feels before Denver’s game against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night.
“We’re not going to rush it,” Malone said. “When Jamal feels able to go and play his game, then he will come back with us.”
With Murray and Gordon sidelined, guards Reggie Jackson and Braun had to step up. After scoring 23 points in the win over Portland, Jackson recorded 15 points on 4-of-9 shooting. Braun, a sophomore guard from Kansas, had an interesting stretch in the second quarter. First, Braun raced down the floor before catching a pass from Jokic and then throwing down a two-handed dunk. Moments later, Braun hit a defender with a euro-step as he converted a one-finger layup, extending the Nuggets’ lead to 64-36 with 3:19 left in the quarter.
Braun, who was making his second start of the season, continued to spoil Memphis’ evening. He scored Denver’s first six points in the third quarter. With 10:16 remaining, Jokic grabbed a defensive rebound, dribbled up the floor and threw a no-look pass to Braun for a layup, which gave the Nuggets a 75-49 advantage.
The Nuggets established their dominance in the opening minutes of the game, allowing Malone to go deep into his bench. Leading by 15 points at the end of the first period, the Nuggets featured a lineup composed of Collin Gillespie, Julian Strawther, Peyton Watson (10 points and 10 rebounds) and Justin Holiday (11 points).
Strawther took advantage of his minutes on the floor. He converted a quick layup with 30 seconds left in the first. Two minutes into the second quarter, he made a 3-pointer from the top of the key, extending Denver’s lead 46-29. The former Gonzaga player scored 14 points.
For the most part, the Nuggets were solid defensively. They held Memphis to 39.8 percent shooting and 25.6 percent from the 3-point line while recording nine steals and seven blocks. Denver saw seven players record a steal, including Jokic with a team-best three. Watson totaled three blocks.
The Nuggets became lackadaisical midway through the third, as they allowed Memphis to score nine unanswered, cutting the lead to 15 points. After Malone called a timeout, Denver regained its focus and went on a commanding 14-2 run.
Strawther showed tremendous effort when he jumped to keep the ball from going out of bounds, then passed it to guard Collin Gillespie on the wing, where he threw a lob to Watson for an alley-oop dunk. oop, increasing Denver’s lead to 95-68 with 2:37 left in the quarter.
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