FILE–Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies. Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images/AFP
The Memphis Grizzlies held the visiting Denver Nuggets to just their seventh outing with fewer than 100 points en route to a 112-94 rout on Saturday.
Memphis snapped Western Conference-leading Denver’s four-game winning streak emphatically, capitalizing on the Nuggets shooting just 36 of 89 from the floor.
Denver’s field-goal percentage hovered in the 30s for much of the contest, but a late-game surge after the outcome was no longer in doubt helped the Nuggets avoid their worst shooting performance of the season.
The Grizzlies limited Jamal Murray to eight points on 3-of-13 shooting and Michael Porter Jr. to five points on 2-of-10 shooting.
Memphis, meanwhile, went 45 of 95 from the field and shot better than 50 percent for much of the game, building a lead of as many as 35 points in the process.
ACTIVITY. ACTIVITY. ACTIVITY.
9 steals. held DEN to their lowest scoring outing of the szn. 🔒 pic.twitter.com/r3q2BcSucZ
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) February 26, 2023
Ja Morant led the Grizzlies with 23 points, and matched Xavier Tillman’s seven rebounds. Tillman scored 12 points as one of six Memphis scorers in double figures.
Dillon Brooks added 12 points, Luke Kennard came off the bench to add another 12 points in just his third game with the team and Desmond Bane chipped in 10 points despite shooting 1 of 7 from 3-point range.
Tyus Jones came off the bench to score 17 points, while Brandon Clarke added eight points and a team-high nine rebounds in reserve duty.
The Grizzlies took control in the middle quarters, going on a 24-7 run over the first half of the second period to build a 23-point lead. The advantage swelled in the third quarter, as Memphis erupted for the first eight points out of intermission.
Nikola Jokic led Denver with 15 points and snared a game-high 13 rebounds. Jeff Green came off the bench to score 12 points, while fellow reserve Christian Braun chipped in 11 points. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored another 11 points in the loss.