The Memphis Grizzlies imposed their will against the Denver Nuggets Thursday night, coming away with a 99-69 victory. Memphis really clamped down on Denver from a defensive standpoint, giving them no chance to make a comeback.
Zach Randolph led the Grizzlies with 15 points while grabbing 17 rebounds. Jeff Green added 13 points, and the birthday boy Marc Gasol added 10 points and seven rebounds in 25 minutes of play. Beno Udrih, Courtney Lee, and Nick Calathes each scored 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting.
Nobody on Denver really thrived tonight, but Wilson Chandler and Kenneth Faried both scored 10 points, which led the Nuggets in scoring tonight. This was Denver’s eighth loss in their last nine games.
The Grizzlies had this game won after the first quarter, holding the Nuggets to just 11 points. From there on, Denver never posed a threat to Memphis, they didn’t seem to care which frustrated their head coach Brian Shaw.
“I didn’t feel like we came and competed from the very beginning of the game. In these kind of situations, I’d have more respect if guys just told me that they didn’t feel like playing from the start. I’m just sick and tired,” Shaw said.
Memphis came out with great defensive pressure and intensity, something that has been lacking a little lately. This performance might be what they need to get back to imposing their opponents from the defensive side of the ball. They held the Nuggets to 33.3 percent shooting from the field and held them to 2-of-26 from behind the arc which is an abysmal 7.7 percent.
The Grizzlies dominated the boards, 57-to-47, and they capitalized on the Nuggets 16 turnovers with 21 points off said turnovers. With a 25-point lead after the third quarter, Memphis was able to let their reserves play the remainder of the game, giving the starters a nice break. The most minutes anyone played on either team was Zach Randolph with 30.
Denver will try to put this loss behind them, as they head home to face the Charlotte Hornets Saturday night at 9:00 PM EST. Memphis will try to add on to their five-game winning streak Saturday night, as they face the Oklahoma City Thunder at 8:00 PM EST.