DENVER—The Nuggets have won 10 games in a row after another great performance against the Memphis Grizzlies. Denver shot almost 60% from the field and held Memphis to a much more subdued 46% mark. It was a close contest the entirety of the first half, but after the 7:15 mark in the 3rd quarter, Denver seized the lead and held it for the rest of the game. Denver continues to put together strong performances with only 2 regular-season games remaining.
When asked about the 10-game win streak, Coach David Adelman said, “It speaks to the consistency of us always bouncing back…. It says a lot about this group…. When your schedule breaks your way, you have to take advantage of it, and we’ve done that…”
Jamal Murray was the star of the show tonight, with 26 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. Murray, now a first-time All-Star, has been playing the best basketball of his life and has shown the entire league that this Denver team is more than just Nikola Jokic. Averaging career highs in points, assists, and rebounds per game, Murray has shown all year that he is capable of being the number 1 option on any given night.
Nikola Jokic had a relatively quiet night, scoring 14 points, along with 15 rebounds and 10 assists. This marks Jokic’s 34th triple-double of the season, tying his career-high mark that he set last year. Cameron Johnson also had a big night, scoring 18 points with 66% efficiency. Johnson has really come into his role as a spot-up shooter, giving Denver another layer on their offense.
Christian Braun scored 14 points as he continues to develop into a solid two-way player for Denver. Off the bench, Jonas Valanciunas scored 14 points; Tim Hardaway and Bruce Brown added 13; and Julian Strawther scored 10. 14 of 15 available Nuggets saw the court tonight as Denver also shot 76% from the free-throw line.
For the first time since drafting Nikola Jokic, the Denver Nuggets have won 10 games in a row. This is the longest active streak in the NBA, and with 2 games left in the regular season, it seems like this momentum will continue into the playoffs. Denver sits firmly at 52-28, 3rd place in the Western Conference, as another championship run seems all but certain. They will play the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder this Friday as they look to continue on this double-digit win streak.
