NBA: Nuggets eye 10th straight win as depleted Grizzlies visit

The surging Denver Nuggets are chasing the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference — but they continue to struggle with defending the 3-point line.

Denver (51-28), winners of nine straight games, looks to achieve its first 10-game winning streak in the Nikola Jokic era when it hosts the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night. On paper, the matchup favors the Nuggets, but recent games show that nothing comes easy.

On Monday, Portland, one of the league’s worst 3-point shooting teams, hit a franchise-record 25 3-pointers, while Memphis tied the NBA record with 29. Both teams lost, but the performances serve as a warning for Denver as the playoffs approach.

"I want to say dare them, but they're all NBA players," Jokic said of Portland's shooting. "I think our contests were not what they were supposed to be. You can still contest and make them think about it. I think we didn't contest the right way."

The Nuggets have needed late rallies to win their last two games in overtime, overcoming double-digit deficits in the fourth quarter. On Saturday, they scored a statement victory against San Antonio, and on Monday, they avoided a costly loss against an injury-plagued Los Angeles Lakers while battling for the third seed.

"We're just seeing what it takes to win," guard Jamal Murray said.

Denver has two of its final three games at home, including a showdown with league-leading Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, and may need a bit of help since the Lakers hold the tiebreaker.

But the Nuggets cannot overlook Memphis (25-54), which has won just five of its last 30 games. One of those wins came against Denver on March 18, a makeup game from January 25.

Ty Jerome played a key role in that victory, finishing just shy of a triple-double with 21 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists. Jerome, shooting 42% from 3-point range, did not play during Memphis' record-tying night from deep and will miss his ninth straight game with an ankle injury. He has appeared in only 15 games this season.

The Grizzlies conceded the playoffs months ago after trading Jaren Jackson Jr., John Konchar, and Jock Landale to Utah at the trade deadline. They also unsuccessfully shopped Ja Morant, who has played only 20 games this season.

With Memphis’ top four scorers sidelined, rookie Cedric Coward leads the team with 13.4 points per game. Coward, from Washington State, missed Sunday’s loss to Milwaukee due to lower back soreness and played just 18 minutes against Chicago on Monday.

Coward’s emergence has been a bright spot in a challenging season for Memphis, as he has handled extra attention from opponents well.

"Right now, when you look at our roster, he's a featured guy, and teams may put a lot more emphasis on stopping him," Memphis head coach Tuomas Iisalo told the Commercial Appeal. "And I think he's done a great job letting the game come to him."

—Field Level Media/Reuters