Memphis Grizzlies snap their 19-game losing streak with 101-94 victory over visiting Denver.
MEMPHIS, TENN.» The Nuggets did something Saturday night no NBA team had done in almost seven weeks — lose to the Grizzlies.
Dillon Brooks scored 24 points, Tyreke Evans contributed 20 and the Grizzlies snapped their 19-game losing streak with a 101-94 victory over the Nuggets, who dropped to 11-22 on the road.
“It was great. We’re all excited,” said Brooks, who hit all four of his 3-pointers in the third quarter to keep Memphis ahead. “I was confident in the shot, and they were falling. They were all in the same spot, so I just shot it the same way.”
The Nuggets, who entered Saturday in ninth place in the Western Conference, failed to gain ground on the final playoff slot by losing to the team entering the night with the NBA’S worst record. Denver’s defeat was a lousy first step as the Nuggets began a seven-game road trip. They don’t return home until April 1 against the Milwaukee Bucks.
“It’s a bad loss,” Denver coach Michael Malone said, adding: “It’s a tough way to start this road trip.”
The Nuggets, who played without leading scorer and star guard Gary Harris because of a sprained right knee suffered Thursday against Detroit, struggled through a miserable first half of shooting, connecting on only 22 percent of their attempts in the first quarter. Memphis stretched its lead to 21 points early in the second quarter before Denver cut it to 53-48 at halftime.
Malone expressed his disappointment with the Denver starters and their lack of energy.
“Our starting group did an awful job of starting the game with any real sense of urgency, and we built ourselves a 21point hole on the road,” Malone said. “If we’re coaching effort at this time of the year, we have a big, big problem.”
Wayne Selden scored 16 points for Memphis by hitting 6-of-7 shots — including 4-of-5 from behind the arc.
Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets (38-32) with 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Jamal Murray finished with 16 points on 5-of-18 shooting. Denver shot just 37 percent overall and 27 percent from 3point range.
Memphis (19-50) never trailed, although the Nuggets tied the game twice near the eight-minute mark of the fourth quarter. The Grizzlies scored the game’s final five points to win for the first time since defeating the Phoenix Suns on Jan. 29.
“It validates how hard you need to work for 48 minutes regardless of what happens on the offensive end,” Marc Gasol said. “I thought for the most part, we were really engaged offensively.”
The Grizzlies held a halftime lead for the first time since the start of the losing streak. In the third quarter, they made six 3-pointers and only a pair of twopoint baskets. Memphis avoided losing nine straight at the Fedex Forum, which would have been a franchise first.
Up next for the Nuggets is the second game of their long road trip, Monday against the Heat in Miami.
The Grizzlies begin a three-game trip against Eastern Conference teams Monday in Brooklyn.