Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray gave fans a preview of their All-Star form as the Denver Nuggets held off the Memphis Grizzlies 122-116 on Wednesday night. Jokic recorded the 184th triple-double of his career with 26 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists, while Murray added 22 points and went 4-for-4 from the free-throw line in the final 11.7 seconds.
Tim Hardaway Jr. chipped in 21 points for Denver, which enters the All-Star break at 35-20 despite an injury-plagued season that has sidelined all five starters at various points and seen six key rotation players miss significant time.
Memphis, losers of 10 of 12, erased a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit while Jokic was on the bench but could never overtake the Nuggets. GG Jackson II led the Grizzlies with 21 points, including a key 3-pointer that tied the game at 68 in the third quarter.
Denver surged in the second quarter, hitting four consecutive 3-pointers to go up 44-33, but Memphis closed the half on a 7-0 run to trail 60-54 at the break. Jokic’s triple-double was secured when he assisted Hardaway on a 3-pointer with five seconds left in the third for a 93-81 lead.
Up next:
Grizzlies host Utah on Friday, Feb. 20; Nuggets visit the Clippers on Thursday, Feb. 19.
