Nikola Jokic tallied 26 points, 16 rebounds, and 12 assists for the Denver Nuggets, who closed the game on a 14-1 run over the final six minutes to defeat the visiting Memphis Grizzlies 117-109 on Friday night.
Nikola Jokic has officially secured his spot as the third player in NBA history—and the first center—to average a triple-double for an entire season. He recorded his 34th triple-double of the year, bringing his career total to 164. The Nuggets (49-32) erased a 15-point deficit to remain in the top six of the Western Conference standings heading into Sunday’s regular-season finale in Houston. Interim head coach David Adelman has now won his first two games after stepping in for the recently dismissed Michael Malone. Aaron Gordon led the scoring with 33 points, including eight powerful dunks, while Jamal Murray added 15 points in his return from a six-game absence due to a hamstring injury. Russell Westbrook chipped in with 14 points, Christian Braun added 12, and Michael Porter Jr. pulled down 12 rebounds.
The Nuggets dominated the fourth quarter, outscoring the Grizzlies 25-14 and preventing them from making a single field goal after falling behind 108-103 with 6:05 remaining.
Desmond Bane led the Grizzlies (47-34) with 24 points, but the team suffered its second consecutive loss, slipping to the No. 8 spot in the standings with one game left—Sunday against the visiting Dallas Mavericks. Ja Morant added 21 points, Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 18, Luke Kennard chipped in 12, Scotty Pippen Jr. had 11, and Zach Edey grabbed 16 rebounds for Memphis. The Grizzlies struggled down the stretch, missing their final 10 shots and committing four turnovers. The game was tied at 97 early in the fourth quarter when Memphis went on a 6-0 run to retake the lead, eventually going up 108-103 before their offense stalled completely.
The Nuggets closed the gap to 108-105 with a layup from Jokic, who then assisted Gordon on a dunk before hitting one of two free throws to tie the game with 3:28 remaining. After Jackson missed a short hook shot in the lane, Murray sank a jumper to give Denver its first lead since early in the game.
The Nuggets outscored the Grizzlies 25-14 in the fourth quarter, holding Memphis without a field goal after trailing 108-103 with 6:05 remaining. Desmond Bane led the Grizzlies with 24 points, but Memphis (47-34) suffered its second consecutive loss and dropped to the No. 8 spot, with one game left on Sunday against the Dallas Mavericks. Ja Morant added 21 points, Jaren Jackson Jr. contributed 18, Luke Kennard had 12, Scotty Pippen Jr. scored 11, and Zach Edey grabbed 16 rebounds for Memphis. The Grizzlies missed their final 10 shots and turned the ball over four times to close the game.
The score was tied at 97 early in the fourth when Memphis went on a 6-0 run to take a 108-103 lead, but their offense then went cold. Jokic pulled the Nuggets within 108-105 with a layup, then assisted Gordon on a dunk before hitting one of two free throws to tie the game at 108. Jackson missed a hook shot in the lane, and Murray hit a jumper to give Denver its first lead since the early moments of the game at 7-6. Westbrook then stole a pass from Bane in the lane, setting up Jokic to make an 8-foot floater that pushed Denver ahead 112-108 with 2:12 remaining, and the Nuggets held on to finish the game.
