Denver Nuggets 123, Memphis Grizzlies 118: a 65-52 first half held up
Jamal Murray scored 30 and Denver built a 13-point halftime lead, then held off a Memphis third-quarter surge to win 123-118 and cover.
The Denver Nuggets won the game in the first 24 minutes and spent the last 24 protecting it. Denver scored 65 points in the first half, led by 18 at its widest, and never trailed on the way to a 123-118 win over the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum on Wednesday night.
Memphis made a real push after the break and got within four going into the fourth. It never got the lead. The Grizzlies' largest lead was zero.
Jamal Murray led Denver with 30 points and 8 assists. Nikola Jokic added 27 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists, and Cameron Johnson scored 23. The win moves Denver to 6-4 and bounces it back from a 110-100 loss at Houston. Memphis falls to 7-4.
How it was won
The first quarter set the terms. Denver scored 35 points to Memphis's 24, and it added a 30-28 second quarter to go into halftime up 65-52.
The third quarter belonged to Memphis. The Grizzlies scored 38 points to Denver's 29 and cut the margin to 94-90 heading into the fourth. Denver answered with a 29-28 final quarter, enough to close it out.
The box score explains why the early lead held. Denver turned the ball over just 6 times against Memphis's 12, and it assisted on 34 of its 49 made field goals. The Nuggets shot 50 percent from the floor and won the paint 54-40, which is where Jokic and the ball movement did most of the damage.
Murray was efficient from outside, going 4-for-7 from three. Johnson matched him at 4-for-7. As a team Denver was 14-for-38 from deep.
Memphis kept it close in other ways. The Grizzlies made 17 of 41 threes, outscoring Denver by nine from beyond the arc, and went 19-for-21 at the line against Denver's 11-for-16. They also won the glass 42-37. Jaylen Wells and Ty Jerome each scored 22, with Wells hitting 5 of 10 threes. Cedric Coward had 15 points and 11 rebounds.
The gap came down to possessions and shot quality. Six extra Memphis turnovers and a 14-point edge in the paint covered for what Denver gave back at the line and from three.
Against the number
Denver closed as a 3.5-point favorite and won by five, so the Nuggets covered. It was closer than the halftime score suggested, and the fourth-quarter margin of one point was the difference between a cover and a push-or-worse.
The total closed at 230.5 and the teams combined for 241, so the over cashed by 10.5 points. A 59-point first quarter put it on pace early, and the 67-point third quarter, driven by Memphis, made sure of it.
On the moneyline, Denver closed at -161 and Memphis at +136. The favorite won. Full closing prices and the market's movement are on the game page.
What's next
Denver plays at the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday, November 14, with the broadcast on GCSEN / Pelicans.com. The Nuggets have already beaten New Orleans twice this season, 141-135 at home and 104-91 on the road.
Memphis's next game was not included in the material available for this recap. We will cover the price on it when the board opens.
For Denver, the takeaway is straightforward. When the turnovers stay in single digits and Murray, Jokic and Johnson combine for 80 points, the Nuggets can absorb a 38-point quarter and still win on the road.