The Nuggets had a awful first quarter in which they allowed Memphis to shoot lights out. Memphis jetted out to a 37-23 lead to begin the game. 37 was the most points in a quarter for the Grizzlies this season. Even after that great start by Memphis, the Nuggets were able to keep the game close. Games like these are bittersweet for the team because they showed that they could perceiver, but they were still not able to pull away in the end.
After an abysmal first quarter, coach Malone laid into the team and they were able to completely turn the game. They trailed by 7 at half after trailing by as much as 18. Gallo's play in the second quarter was a huge reason why they were able to cut the lead. He had 5 points in the first, but got called for two quick fouls that kept him out of the game for the rest of the quarter.
Gallo is the only player on the team that can consistently create and make his own shot. His presence on the court makes the team so much better. This was demonstrated during the contrasting first and second quarters tonight. Gallo finished with 17 points, but he should have had more if he was not in foul trouble.
Jameer Nelson missed the game with a sprained ankle, which allowed Mudiay to start. He had a rough first half with only 2 points. Even after his rough first half, Mudiay played really well to begin the second half. He finished with 14 points and 8 assists, but the most important part was only 1 turnover against a very good defensive team. He also shot 6-13 from the field. If he can improve on his turnovers and shot selection, he should undoubtedly be the starter moving forward.
Mudiay's recent performances have shown improvement in almost all aspects of his game. His passing looks much better than it did a month ago and he is making much better decisions. More games like this will give him confidence going into the all star break.
Gary Harris is much better than many people give him credit for. He played great defense today and can be a difference maker on that side of the floor. He needs to become a more consistent shooter and he did not shoot well this game (3-9), which is holding him back from being a net positive player.
Joffrey Lauvergne was a very important player off of the bench because he was able to bother Marc Gasol more than Faried and Jokic. Gasol still had a good night, but at least Lauvergne was able to contest most of his shots.
Josef Nurkic made his return, but he was only on the court for three minutes and picked up 3 fouls. It was not a pretty return for him, maybe he was not quite ready yet. It will be interesting to see if he can stay on the court when the team plays again on Saturday.
Will Barton made all of the plays for the Nuggets late in the fourth quarter. He was not playing very well heading into the fourth quarter, but 10 quick points from him allowed the Nuggets pull ahead with 30 seconds left in the game.
The game came down to one possession with the Nuggets leading 98-97 with 23.8 seconds left. They had a terrible defensive possession that allowed Gasol to easily get to the hoop and get the and one. The team needs to be better in these types of situations. I would have been OK if he made the shot, but it was contested well. The fact that he was able to get to the hoop easily is cause for concern. Malone should have at least brought in Nurkic for that last defensive possession since he is their best post defender. For some reason he stuck with Lauvergne and it hurt them.
The Nuggets let another close game slip through their hands, but being competitive is very important in order to get back on track. They were able to handle the Grizzlies for the majority of the game, but the terrible first quarter came back to haunt them. Without it, they would have likely won this game.
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