Denver Nuggets at Memphis Grizzlies
· National Basketball AssociationGrizzlies beat short-handed Nuggets 105-90 in opener of a 2-game set in Memphis
The teams will meet again Tuesday night in Memphis in an NBA Cup game.
Nuggets star center Nikola Jokic missed the game for personal reasons, while forward Aaron Gordon is recovering from a strained right calf. Denver has lost two straight. Coach Michael Malone returned after missing the last game to attend his daughter's high school volleyball playoff match.
Rookie Jaylen Wells added 15 points to help Memphis win its fourth straight home game. Desmond Bane had 11 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.
Julian Strawther led Denver with 19 points. Christian Braun and Jamal Murray scored 13 points each, going a combined 11 of 26 from the field and 1 of 8 on 3s.
Grizzlies: The fast pace that Memphis plays now led to 20 fast-break points, and had Denver scrambling back on defense.
Regular Season Series
MEM leads series 1-0
Recent Plays
| 4th 0.0 |  |
End of Game | 90 - 105 |
| 4th 0.0 | |
End of the 4th Quarter | 90 - 105 |
| 4th 6.0 |  |
John Konchar defensive rebound | 90 - 105 |
| 4th 9.1 |  |
Hunter Tyson misses 23-foot three point jumper | 90 - 105 |
| 4th 23.2 | |
Colin Castleton enters the game for Desmond Bane | 90 - 105 |
Statistics
 DEN |
 MEM |
|
|---|---|---|
| 35-84 | FG | 41-91 |
| 41.7 | Field Goal % | 45.1 |
| 10-31 | 3PT | 13-39 |
| 32.3 | Three Point % | 33.3 |
| 10-14 | FT | 10-12 |
| 71.4 | Free Throw % | 83.3 |
| 39 | Rebounds | 45 |
| 6 | Offensive Rebounds | 10 |
| 33 | Defensive Rebounds | 35 |
| 23 | Assists | 31 |
| 9 | Steals | 10 |
| 5 | Blocks | 10 |
| 14 | Turnovers | 12 |
| 1 | Team Turnovers | 1 |
| 15 | Total Turnovers | 13 |
| 1 | Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 1 | Total Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 0 | Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
| 14 | Points Conceded Off Turnovers | 21 |
| 22 | Fast Break Points | 20 |
| 48 | Points in Paint | 52 |
| 12 | Fouls | 15 |
| 8 | Largest Lead | 24 |
Memphis Grizzlies Injuries
| NAME, POS | STATUS | DATE |
|---|---|---|
| Cedric Coward, F | Day-To-Day | Jul 22 |
| Ja Morant, PG | Day-To-Day | Jul 3 |
| Jaren Jackson Jr., PF | Day-To-Day | Jul 3 |
| Zach Edey, C | Out | Jul 3 |
| Brandon Clarke, PF | Day-To-Day | Jul 3 |
Denver Nuggets Injuries
| NAME, POS | STATUS | DATE |
|---|---|---|
| Hunter Tyson, F | Day-To-Day | Jul 18 |
Game Information
Location: Memphis, TN
Attendance: 16,351 · Capacity:
2024-25 Northwest Standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Oklahoma City |
68 | 14 | .829 | - | W4 |
 Denver |
50 | 32 | .610 | 18 | W3 |
 Minnesota |
49 | 33 | .598 | 19 | W3 |
 Portland |
36 | 46 | .439 | 32 | W1 |
 Utah |
17 | 65 | .207 | 51 | L2 |
2024-25 Southwest Standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Houston |
52 | 30 | .634 | - | L3 |
 Memphis |
48 | 34 | .585 | 4 | W1 |
 Dallas |
39 | 43 | .476 | 13 | L1 |
 San Antonio |
34 | 48 | .415 | 18 | W1 |
 New Orleans |
21 | 61 | .256 | 31 | L7 |
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