Nikola Jokić finished with 27 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists as the Denver Nuggets held off the Memphis Grizzlies 123–118 on Wednesday night. Jamal Murray led Denver with 30 points and eight assists, helping the Nuggets earn their fifth win in seven games.
Denver led by as many as 18 points in the first half and went into halftime up 65–52. Memphis cut the deficit to one late in the third quarter, but Murray scored 20 of Denver’s next 24 points from the final minute of the third into the fourth, helping the Nuggets rebuild a nine-point lead.
The Grizzlies made one more push. Jaylen Wells hit a three-pointer with 52.7 seconds left, and Canadian center Zach Edey followed with a hook shot to make it 120–118. Denver made three of four free throws in the final 13.9 seconds to close out the win.
Cameron Johnson added 23 points for Denver. Wells and Ty Jerome scored 22 apiece for Memphis, which lost its fourth straight home game.
