Memphis Grizzlies fend off Denver Nuggets 92-81

Mar 16, 2015; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Courtney Lee (5) and Memphis Grizzlies forward Tony Allen (9) react after the play against the Denver Nuggets at FedExForum. Memphis Grizzlies beat Denver Nuggets 92-81.Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

The Memphis Grizzlies did not play their best basketball on Monday, but they played well enough to defeat the Denver Nuggets 92-81 in the FedExForum, snapping the Nuggets’ four-game winning streak. Zach Randolph led the Grizzlies with 21 points and 16 rebounds, and really carried the load while Marc Gasol struggled to find his groove. Gasol, who finished with 14 points and 8 rebounds, shot an abysmal 4-13 from the field and was rather inert throughout the entire game.  The only thing positive to say about his performance is that he was able to connect on 6 of his 8 free throw attempts.

The only guy who really gave Zach Randolph support was Tony Allen, who finished with 14 points and 9 rebounds on 5-10 shooting from the field. Allen brought a much-needed energy to the game that nobody else but him possessed. If it wasn’t for his hustle, energy, and fire, the Grizzlies certainly would have lost this game.

The final score doesn’t do justice to how close of a game this really was. With less than 2 minutes to go, the Grizzlies were only up by a few points and the game was still very much in question. Thankfully, Tony Allen and Zach Randolph were able to put it away at the very end, but until then, this game was up for grabs.

What really made the game interesting was the third quarter. The Grizzlies possessed a comfortable 47-37 lead at the half, with things looking very much in their favor. However, the Nuggets dominated the Grizzlies 26-18 in the 3rd quarter, cutting the Grizzlies’ lead to just two points when the quarter ended.

The main player responsible for the Nuggets’ comeback was their point guard Jameer Nelson, who scored 24 points on 11-18 shooting. Nelson played very well and made some very tough shots against some good defense. Without his sensational play, the Nuggets would have been blown out by 20+ points.

It should be noted that Kenneth Faried and Ty Lawson did not play in this game for the Nuggets and that Mike Conley did not play for the Grizzlies. The absence of all three players no doubt had an effect on how this game was played, which might explain why neither team was able to really pull away until the closing minutes of the game.

The fact that the Nuggets were without their two best players does mean that this game shouldn’t have been as close as it was. However, I also think we are seeing just how important Mike Conley is to the Grizzlies when he doesn’t play. He is the floor general of the Grizzlies and when he is out, the offense just doesn’t run as smoothly. We saw that tonight, and as a result, this game was much closer than it should have been.

Despite all the hiccups and issues, the Grizzlies still found a way to win this game, and for that they should be commended. They could have easily packed it in and lost, but instead, they fought hard all the way through and pulled it out in the end. The significance of this win is huge, as it now gives the Grizzlies a full two-game lead over the #3 seeded Portland Trail Blazers, who lost earlier in the day to the Washington Wizards. Next up, the Grizzlies travel to Detroit to take on the Pistons on Tuesday. The Grizzlies will definitely need to play a good game as it is never easy to get a win on the road on the second half of a back-to-back.