NBA: Nikola Jokic posts triple-double to carry Nuggets past Grizzlies

Nikola Jokic had 26 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists, countering his nine turnovers, as the Denver Nuggets held off the Memphis Grizzlies 122-116 on Wednesday night. Jamal Murray added 23 points for the hosts.

It was Jokic's 20th triple-double of the season and the 184th of his career.

Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 21 points, Christian Braun added 14, Julian Strawther contributed 11, and Bruce Brown finished with 10 for Denver, which enters the All-Star break third in the Western Conference.

GG Jackson led Memphis with a season-high 21 points, while Ty Jerome scored 19, Jaylen Wells had 17, Olivier-Maxence Prosper added 14, and Taylor Hendricks contributed 10. The Grizzlies have now lost four straight games.

Memphis forward Cedric Coward missed the game with a knee injury suffered late in the first half of Monday’s loss at Golden State. Lawson Lovering, signed to a 10-day contract Tuesday, scored three points in his NBA debut for Memphis.

The Nuggets led 30-28 after the first quarter and stretched the lead to 14 late in the second, but the Grizzlies closed the half on a 10-2 run to trail 60-54 at intermission.

Memphis tied the game at 68 on Jackson's 3-pointer, but Denver quickly responded. Jokic hit one of two free throws and a putback, Murray drained a 3-pointer, and Jokic assisted Braun for a dunk to make it 78-72.

Denver went up 83-72 on Hardaway's bucket. Jokic was fouled on a 3-point attempt and made two free throws, then recorded his 10th assist on Hardaway's 3-pointer, completing his triple-double as the Nuggets led 93-81 entering the fourth quarter.

The Nuggets extended the lead to 103-88 with 8:40 remaining, but Memphis responded with a 12-0 run, capped by Jerome's 3-pointer, narrowing it to 103-100 midway through the fourth.

Prosper hit a corner 3-pointer and Lovering’s layup — his first NBA points — tied the game with 3:50 left. Hardaway’s 3-pointer put Denver ahead, and Jokic scored four more points to make it 116-111. The Grizzlies got within a point, but Jokic’s putback and four free throws from Murray sealed the win.

—Field Level Media/Reuters