Still deprived of Ja Morant, the Grizzlies did not have to force their talent to overcome a moribund Denver team without its control tower Nikola Jokic, nor Aaron Gordon. Jaren Jackson Jr was a perfect leader, mobilizing his energy on both ends of the floor to allow his team to win 105-90 after having counted up to 24 points in advance.
The Nuggets had started well, until this 13-1 which put Memphis on the right track, with the baskets of Zach Edey, the 3-pointer of Vince Williams Jr and the two arrows of Luke Kennard (26-20) . Scotty Pippen Jr and Desmond Bane in turn hit the mark from afar, this time launching a 10-0 concluded by Jaren Jackson Jr to take the lead (41-26). The disorderly reaction of the Murray-Braun-Saric trio did not really allow the Nuggets to put pressure on the locals before the break (55-43), and even less afterward since Memphis resumed with a 10-0, notably with a big dunk by Jaren Jackson Jr (65-43).
The Nuggets revolt killed in the Huff
This time, it was Jaylen Wells who accompanied the interior of the Grizzlies with eight points including two 3-point baskets, before seeing Jaren Jackson Jr complete the third quarter with four points and an authoritarian counter on Russell Westbrook ( 84-64). The locals thought they were heading towards a quiet end to the match while the former nugget Jay Huff and Jaren Jackson Jr. Jay Huff even offered himself a counter on Dario Saric at +21… Then a 12-2 fueled by two baskets from Christian Braun and two 3-point baskets from Jamal Murray and Russell Westbrook put everything into perspective (99-88).
Without trembling, Desmond Bane took it upon himself to finish the job with two baskets then a service for Brandon Clarke's “classic” hook from 4 meters to allow Memphis to return to victory, 105-90.
WHAT TO REMEMBER
Ankle alert for Zach Edey. The rookie center was accompanied to the locker room in the third quarter after twisting his left ankle, stepping on Dario Saric's foot before collapsing. The Memphis medical staff should take precautions given the fragile profile of their 2.24m pivot, who also held his kneecap before being accompanied to the locker room. Jay Huff took over perfectly, recalling good memories of the Nuggets, where he played last season.
Scotty Pippen Jr in GTA mode. Scottie Pippen's son didn't really shine with his shooting skills (3/12) but did stand out for his mischief in stealing balls from the Nuggets! Credited with four interceptions, he exerted constant pressure on the carrier, generating transition play and easy baskets for the Grizzlies. Valuable in this match where everyone made their contribution to the Grizzlies side.
Jamal Murray too little, too late. As Jaren Jackson Jr dominated the racket in the absence of Nikola Jokic, one could think that Jamal Murray would have free rein without Ja Morant facing him. But the Canadian leader got through the match without really managing to instill a winning spirit in his teammates. In difficulty shooting, he woke up at the end of the match with a 3-pointer which gave his team hope. A short-lived hope since he quickly found himself in the tough on the following possessions where Denver could have further clawed back, to finish at 6/15 in shooting and 6 lost balls. His reaction will be expected Tuesday evening for the rematch between the two teams.
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
