Memphis Grizzlies (24-44) beat Denver Nuggets (42-28) 125-118 at home on Wednesday, March 18.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Grizzlies had the better start, winning the first 31-30 to lead by 1 after one. The Nuggets pulled even with a 30-29 second quarter, sending the game to halftime tied at 60.
The Grizzlies won the third 39-31 to turn the game around, taking a 8-point lead into the fourth. The Nuggets took the fourth 27-26; the Grizzlies held on for a 125-118 regulation win.
What decided it
The Grizzlies took better care of the ball, turning it over on 9.1% of possessions compared with 17% for the Nuggets. The Grizzlies grabbed 23.5% of their own misses, while the Nuggets recovered 16.3%. Those extra possessions were crucial.
The Nuggets did win one battle, shooting: eFG% of 56.1% against 51%. The Grizzlies made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 111 possessions per team, the Grizzlies produced 112.7 points per 100 possessions to 106.4 for the Nuggets.
The Grizzlies' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 49-13.
Who made the difference
Christian Braun was the game's biggest individual force for DEN: 26 pts, 7 reb, 5 ast, 4 stl on 11-19 shooting. His Game Score of 24.5 led everyone. His team was -5 with him on the floor.
Ty Jerome led the Grizzlies with 21 pts, 9 reb, 9 ast on 8-15 shooting, good for a 21.4 Game Score.
Nikola Jokic (29 pts, 14 reb, 9 ast) and Jamal Murray (19 pts, 8 reb, 12 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
By our Win Meter this was an upset: The Grizzlies entered with about a 32% chance.
Across the last 5 meetings in our records, Denver Nuggets lead 4-1.
The Grizzlies are now 24-44, and the Nuggets are 42-28. The Grizzlies last five before this game: L-L-L-L-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.