Jamal Murray scored 29 points with eight assists, while Peyton Watson added 27, including 14 in the third quarter, to lead the Denver Nuggets (13-4) to a 125-115 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies (6-12) on Monday night at FedExForum. Nikola Jokic recorded his 10th triple-double of the season with 17 points, 16 assists, and 10 rebounds.
Denver led 62-54 at halftime after holding Memphis to 40% shooting in the first half. The Grizzlies closed the gap in the third, but Watson’s scoring helped the Nuggets maintain a 93-85 lead entering the fourth quarter. Jokic capped the scoring with a half-court buzzer-beater.
The Nuggets were missing starters Christian Braun (ankle) and Aaron Gordon (hamstring), who combined for roughly 20 points per game, yet Denver’s shooting and defense carried them through. Murray went 6 of 9 from three-point range, and the team finished 22 of 43 (51.2%) from deep.
Memphis, playing without key guards including Ja Morant, relied on Jock Landale, who matched his career high with 26 points and 10 rebounds, and Jaylen Wells, who contributed 22 points. Zach Edey left in the first half with a head injury and did not return.
Tim Hardaway Jr. added 13 points for Denver and hit a key basket with 2:23 left that pushed the lead to 119-108. The Nuggets outscored Memphis 32-30 in the fourth quarter to secure the win.
Denver will host the San Antonio Spurs on Friday, while the Grizzlies begin a four-game road trip at New Orleans on Wednesday.
