Memphis Grizzlies Upset Denver Nuggets to Secure 24th Win of the Season

In a surprising upset at this point in the NBA season, the tanking Memphis Grizzlies outplayed the championship-contending Denver Nuggets to pick up their 24th win of the season in a 125-118 final on Wednesday night.

Grizzlies Defense Locks Down Nuggets in Win

Although the Grizzlies were able to get plenty of production out of their offense in tonight’s win, with six players finishing in double digits, the Memphis defense essentially led the way in the win. While the Nuggets had an efficient night shooting the ball as they shot 49% from the field, the Grizzlies’ defense was able to harass Denver into coughing up the ball a bunch, as the Nuggets committed 19 turnovers, which directly led to 27 points for the Grizzlies.

Many of those turnovers were committed by Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic, who finished with 10 turnovers in the loss. The Grizzlies’ defense hounded Jokic throughout the game, sending multiple double teams that led to the two-time MVP making uncharacteristic mistakes. All of the Nuggets’ turnovers essentially gave the Grizzlies’ struggling offense the boost they needed, as Memphis shot just 43% from the field and 33% from three-point range in the game.

While Memphis had a plethora of scoring from multiple players in the win, there was one individual performance in particular that helped lift them to victory. That was the outing that Ty Jerome gave them, as last year’s Sixth Man of the Year finalist finished with a near triple-double of 21 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists. Jerome has played great for the Grizzlies when healthy this season, as he’s averaging a career high 20 points per game in just 12 games played.

Nuggets Struggles Continue in Latest Head-Scratching Loss

Despite being able to scrap together some quality wins in Jokic’s absence a few months back, it seems even having a healthy Jokic in the lineup has done very little to shore up the plentiful amount of issues that plague this Denver squad. The biggest issue that has haunted Denver all season has been their middling to outright poor defense, which has only gotten worse over the past two months. The Nuggets currently rank 22nd in defensive efficiency at this point of the season, a far cry from their top 10 ranking back in January.

Another issue that has popped up for the Nuggets is head coach David Adelman’s baffling decision not to further tap into the depth that Denver possesses. That issue reared its ugly head again in tonight’s loss, as key reserves like Jonas Valanciunas and Julian Strawther played a total of 6 minutes each for the game. Three Nuggets starters finished the game playing more than 39 minutes, an almost inexcusable coaching decision given the caliber of team the Nuggets were playing.

That coaching error was almost saved by the brilliance of players like Christian Braun, Jamal Murray, and Nikola Jokic, who all had a productive night in the loss. All three players would score over 20 points, with Murray and Jokic almost dropping a triple-double each. Jokic would finish with a game-high 29 points, 14 rebounds, and 9 assists, while Murray would have a similar stat line of 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 12 assists in the loss.

Nuggets on the Verge of Falling into the Play-In Tournament

Following their loss against the Grizzlies tonight, it’s officially time for Nuggets fans to push the panic button heading into the final few weeks of the season. Denver now sits just two games ahead of the Phoenix Suns for the 7th-place spot in the West, a sentence that Nuggets fans would have laughed at just a couple of months ago.

For the Grizzlies, while their season has been over for quite some time, this win provides a bit of a morale boost and doesn’t exactly hurt their lottery odds. Memphis currently possesses the 8th-worst record in the NBA, which gives them a 26.3% chance at landing in the top four of the 2026 NBA draft. The Grizzlies also hold a slim but strong chance at acquiring the number one overall pick, as according to ClutchPoints, they hold a 6% to 8% chance to sit atop the draft board come June.