(Associated Press) — MEMPHIS, Tenn. On Friday night, the Denver Nuggets defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 108-104. Nikola Jokic finished with 22 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists, while Jamal Murray also scored 22 points. The Nuggets were able to fend off a Memphis Grizzlies comeback attempt in the fourth quarter.
As the reigning champions added another victory to their resume, Denver’s Reggie Jackson contributed 16 points to the Nuggets’ success.
Marcus Smart ended the game with 20 points and five assists, while teammate Jaren Jackson Jr. led Memphis in scoring with 21 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks.
Desmond Bane finished with 15 points despite shooting only 4 of 17 from the field and 1 of 10 from beyond the arc.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Memphis seized the lead, 98-97, but Denver regained the lead for good on the strength of a three-pointer by Murray, a three-pointer by Jokic, and an offensive putback by Denver’s center.
The frontcourt of the Memphis Grizzlies continued to suffer from a lack of depth as center Steven Adams, reserve player Brandon Clarke, and probable starting forward Santi Aldama all missed a significant portion of the season due to injury. Santi Aldama was also nursing a sprained ankle. Due to the fact that Ja Morant was suspended for the first 25 games of the season, the offensive punch was also reduced.
Both teams got off to a shaky start. They had a total field goal percentage of 5 for 24 and had been unsuccessful with all 10 of their 3-point attempts up to that point in the game. This was the halfway mark of the first quarter.
At the break, Denver was up 61-56 and had seen an improvement in their shooting.
The Grizzlies spent the most of the night fighting to stay in the game and keep the score within single digits of their opponent’s lead.
Derrick Rose made a steal and a layup in the middle of the fourth quarter, which allowed Memphis to pull within 95-93 of their opponent. With 4:28 remaining in the game, Rose’s leaner in the lane gave the Grizzlies a 98-97 advantage against the Nuggets. This put the Grizzlies in the driver’s seat.