The Grizzlies once again showed their high level with a prestigious victory at the Ball Arena in Denver. Those from Memphis defeated the Nuggets 118-122 in a fantastic duel between two of the best players of the season, as Ja Morant and Nikola Jokic did not miss the appointment and offered performances typical of the undisputed superstars that they are. On this occasion, the balance fell on the side of the point guard, who led his team to their 32nd victory and keeps them on the hunt for the Warriors and Suns at the head of the West.
Morant finished the match with 38 points thanks to, once again, his great explosiveness and his ability to continuously attack the paint. The base added most of his baskets, although he managed to add two triples to punish the spaces that the defense gave him, and also contributed 6 assists and 6 rebounds to round off another display only marred by his 6 turnovers.
For his part, Jokic continued his spectacular form with 26 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds, signing his fourth consecutive triple-double. This is something the Serbian had never achieved in his career, and it culminates a sensational personal run that seems to have placed him among the undisputed favorites for MVP (if not as the overwhelming favorite) even for the most skeptical. On this occasion, however, the center was unable to turn his magnificent performance into a victory, as a large stretch of the visitors between the third and fourth periods left the match very uphill for Malone’s men.
Specifically, the Grizzlies signed a 3-19 run that allowed them to post the maximum difference of the game (94-108) with 9 minutes to go, limiting themselves to keeping that lead from then until the end. Morant himself was in charge of starting said partial, and was quickly followed by De’Anthony Melton, second scorer for the Tennessee team with 21 points, and by Jaren Jackson Jr., who scored 9 of his 20 points in the last quarter. The power forward was also in charge of sentencing the duel, as his three-pointer with 41 seconds to go broke any hope of a local comeback.
Said triple came after an excellent assist from Morant, who attacked the rim and froze in the air as usual, but this time, instead of finishing, he took the ball for his teammate to shoot from the perimeter. “It was the play of the game,” Jenkins said. “It was a beautiful pass. Jaren and him have had a great connection when it comes to generating decisive plays this year.
The Grizzlies thus prevailed over the Nuggets in which, in addition to Jokic, Will Barton also shone with 27 points and 8 assists, while Monte Morris, Aaron Gordon and Jeff Green added 17, 16 and 15 points respectively. Those from Colorado offered a good image, but, in the absence of key men like Murray or Porter, they fell somewhat short when it came to keeping up with one of the best teams so far this season.
(Cover photo: Ethan Mito/Getty Images)
