NBA: Grizzlies surprise Nuggets with gritty defense late

Ty Jerome knocked down five 3-pointers on his way to 21 points, while Taylor Hendricks’ impactful play off the bench helped the Memphis Grizzlies stun the Denver Nuggets, 125-118, on Wednesday.

Memphis (24-44) entered the make-up game—originally postponed in January due to weather—on an eight-game losing streak. The injury-depleted Grizzlies rose to the occasion, with six players scoring in double figures, led by Jerome’s 21 points. Jerome also nearly recorded a triple-double, adding nine rebounds and a team-high nine assists.

Olivier-Maxence Prosper contributed 19 points, GG Jackson II added 16 points and six rebounds, and Cedric Coward finished with 15 points and seven rebounds. Hendricks chipped in 13 points off the bench, but his defensive efforts were most crucial. The forward recorded six steals, including one late in the fourth quarter during a decisive 9-0 Grizzlies run. Hendricks’ steal off a Cam Johnson pass led to free throws for Prosper, helping Memphis turn a two-point lead into an 11-point advantage that Denver could not overcome. Hendricks capped his defensive performance with a block on Nikola Jokic in the final 80 seconds.

Jokic had a strong individual showing, finishing with 29 points and 14 rebounds, just one assist shy of a triple-double. However, Memphis’ aggressive defense forced the three-time MVP into 10 turnovers, nearly half of Denver’s 19 giveaways. The Grizzlies capitalized on these mistakes, holding a 27-10 points-off-turnovers advantage.

Memphis also dominated the bench scoring, outscoring Denver’s reserves 43-18. Tim Hardaway Jr. led the Nuggets’ bench with 11 points. Christian Braun and Cam Johnson scored 26 and 20 points, respectively, with Johnson shooting 5 of 6 from three-point range, while Jamal Murray added 19 points and a game-high 12 assists in the loss.

—Field Level Media/Reuters