DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray combined to help the Denver Nuggets beat the Memphis Grizzlies 122-116 on Wednesday night to warm up for their appearance in the NBA All-Star festivities.
Jokic scored 26 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists, recording his 184th career triple-double. Murray scored 22 points on 4-of-4 free throws in the final 11.7 seconds.
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Tim Hardaway Jr. added 21 points for the Nuggets, who entered halftime with a 35-20 record despite an injury-plagued season that saw all five starters absent and six top rotation players out for extended periods.
The Grizzlies lost 10 of 12 games. With Jokic coming off the bench, they erased a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter, but they were never able to take the final lead.
With 5 seconds left in the third quarter, Jokic assisted Hardaway and hit a three-pointer, leading 93-81.
In the second quarter, the Nuggets hit 4 consecutive three-pointers, chasing the score to 44-33. But the Grizzlies scored 7 points in the first half and chased the score to 60-54 at halftime.
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They hit another 7-0 run, chasing the score to 66-65, and were forced to pause at 8 minutes and 58 seconds of the third quarter. GG Jackson II, who led Memphis with 21 points, hit a three-pointer to tie the score at 68, but the Grizzlies never took the lead.
Denver head coach David Adelman said Spencer Jones’ two-way contract has not yet converted and is still “at the end of the concussion protocol,” and “the negotiations that are going on there are obviously moving at a slow pace because of the concussions.” Jones is expected to sign a prorated contract before the Nuggets resume play after the All-Star break, which would also allow them to sign a 15th player down the stretch.
Next
Grizzlies: Host Utah Jazz on Friday, February 20th.
Nuggets: Visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday, February 19th.
___ AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA