Murray scores 30 as Nuggets hold off Grizzlies 123-118

Jamal Murray scored 30 points, and the Denver Nuggets held off the Memphis Grizzlies 123-118 on Wednesday, November 11, in a game the Grizzlies never led.

Murray made 12 of 19 shots, four of them 3-pointers, and handed out eight assists. Nikola Jokic had 27 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, and Cameron Johnson scored 23 on 9-of-15 shooting.

Denver (6-4) took control in the first quarter with a 10-0 run for a 28-16 lead. Another 10-0 burst, running into the second quarter, made it 42-24, the Nuggets' largest lead of the night.

Memphis (7-4) answered with a 10-0 run of its own to cut it to 42-34 midway through the second quarter. The Grizzlies outscored Denver 38-29 in the third but never drew even.

Ty Jerome and Jaylen Wells led Memphis with 22 points each, Wells going 5 of 10 from 3-point range. Cedric Coward had 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Cameron Boozer added 13 points and 11 rebounds.

The Memphis bench outscored Denver's 44-22, with Cam Spencer making five of seven shots for 15 points, and the Grizzlies hit 19 of 21 free throws. Denver protected the ball, though, turning it over four times to Memphis's 11, and blocked 11 shots.

The Nuggets led 113-107 entering the final five minutes. Johnson hit a 23-foot 3-pointer off a Jokic pass with 1:01 left for a 120-113 lead. Wells answered from beyond the arc, and Zach Edey's short basket made it 120-118.

Jokic made one of two free throws, and Gordon sealed it with two more with 4.5 seconds to go.

Up next

Nuggets: at the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday, November 14.

Grizzlies: at the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday, November 13.