The leader of the West and his dolphin challenged each other last night in the Rockies. A clash at the top, with first place in the conference at stake, which did not really keep all its promises.
Indeed, no doubt wishing to send a message to the rest of the league against the Grizzliesthem nuggets delivered a full and successful performance, especially defensively, to quickly kill all suspense and clinch their fifth victory in six games (105-91).
And, this, while the teammates of Nikola Jokic (13 points, 13 rebounds, 13 assists) however appeared without Jamal Murray or Michael Porter Jr. Lonely, Ja Morant (35 points, 10 assists) tried everything in the opposite camp, but his team still lost for the second consecutive time away.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
— The message from Denver. What if the Nuggets had signed their best game of the season? Not impossible, especially in defense, as they have mastered the debates from start to finish. Very quickly holding a large lead, thanks to their perfect first quarter (35-14), they tore to pieces and thwarted the Grizzlies, who occupied the throne of the West. “Occupied”, because they now leave it to their evening opponent, even if the balance sheets are identical. And to think that neither Jamal Murray nor Michael Porter Jr. were present to support Nikola Jokic…
— Nikola Jokic, the quiet force. If some still had doubts about the “Joker” candidacy for the title of MVP 2023, this match should clear them. Not particularly statistically transcendent, as he finished with a triple-double, his 6th of the season and his 82nd in his career, the reigning double MVP did indeed shine against Memphis. The hub of Denver’s attack and genius facilitator, the Serb cut through the opposing defense (despite Steven Adams or Jaren Jackson Jr.), without ever giving the impression of forcing and constantly making the right decision. Both in scoring and passing. “MVP”.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Denver starters. In addition to the inevitable Nikola Jokic, therefore, the Nuggets were also able to count on solid performances from all of their starting five. From Aaron Gordon (24 points, 7 rebounds) to Bruce Brown (16 points, 5 rebounds), via Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (12 points, 7 rebounds) or rookie Christian Braun (13 points), the holders of Denver were all on the same wavelength and this collective strike force has kept the Grizzlies turning heads on defense.
✅ Ja Morant. We cannot say that the All-Star point guard did nothing to put the Grizzlies back in the game after their failed start to the game. The problem is that he was much too lonely to hope for better than this defeat, both dry and indisputable. Despite the waste with the ball (7 ball losses), the elusive wisp of Memphis showed great things in attack, constantly keeping his foot on the accelerator and finding the right balance between aggressiveness towards the basket, successes at mid -range or cannon shots at 3-pts. Too bad Desmond Bane wasn’t there to plant some award-winning baskets…
⛔ Dillon Brooks. Bothered by faults throughout this game, without really knowing if it favored Denver or Memphis, the rear / winger of the Grizzlies missed his meeting: 11 points, but 5/14 on shots and 0/5 to 3-pts. We also saw him gradually become frustrated and complain to the referees, no doubt irritated by the face of this match, where nothing went in the direction of his team.
THE FOLLOWING
Denver (19-11) : reception of Portland, on the night of Friday to Saturday (03:00).
Memphis (19-11) : trip to Phoenix, on the night of Friday to Saturday (04:00).
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