After fumbling themselves into a few recent losses, the Memphis Grizzlies have no option but to come away with a victory on Monday as the team visits the Denver Nuggets.
Heading into their Monday evening matchup versus the Denver Nuggets, the Memphis Grizzlies know this is a must-win opportunity.
The road has not been too friendly to the Grizzlies, though it has brought a few of their biggest wins of the young season. Memphis is 7-6 in road meetings thus far in 2018-19, which is a large reason they are, according to ESPN, a two-point underdog versus Denver.
Over the past week of games, the Nuggets have fallen susceptible to the injury bug. Already without several of their players, albeit mostly lesser names, their most recent losses involve two of their starters — Paul Millsap and Gary Harris.
To make matters worse, they were already without their Sixth Man and University of Memphis Tigers alum, Will Barton. Not only did the Nuggets lose their third-, fourth-, and fifth-leading scorers, but they also lost their second-leading rebounder, top two shot-blockers, and second-best three-point shooter.
The Denver Nuggets need Jamal Murray to suit up against the Memphis Grizzlies in order to keep things competitive. He is listed as questionable just hours prior to tip-off.
This is a massive amount of production that the Nuggets will have to make up for in their players’ injury absences. Even so, the Memphis Grizzlies cannot afford to play down to their competition. The Grizzly gang really needs a double-digit victory on Monday in order to lift their morale after their lackluster performance against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday.
In the first meeting of the season between the Grizzlies and Nuggets, Memphis prevailed on their home floor by a final score of 89-87. The Grizzlies’ defense was on full display, holding their opponent to below the 90-point mark, which has almost been unheard of this season across the NBA.
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Offensively, Jaren Jackson Jr. stayed far away from foul trouble in collecting just two fouls on November 7th. Without Paul Millsap on the floor, there is an increased chance that Jaren can play his full starter’s minutes in Denver.
Marc Gasol was a huge reason for the Grizzlies’ victory in their first meeting versus the Denver Nuggets. In the stat sheet, he boasted a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds, but the biggest difference-maker was his suffocating defense on Nikola Jokic.
Jokic produced just four points (0-1 field goals), four assists, and seven rebounds. It is no secret as to how Gasol led the game with a +15 mark on that particular evening.
Though the Memphis Grizzlies’ bench produced 26 points in the first matchup with Denver, the expectation should be greater. JaMychal Green is back into the fold and he has been on a tear as of late.
With so many injuries, the Denver Nuggets will be scrambling to keep pace with the Grizzlies. Though last meeting was low-scoring, Millsap and Harris combined for 22 points (including three three-point makes), 5 rebounds, and 2 assists.
The majority of the Grizzlies’ 10 losses have come by blowing leads in the third and/or fourth quarters to far lesser teams. This is a potential “trap game” and they should not take this Nuggets squad lightly. Though they are shorthanded, Denver still ranks third in the Western Conference with a 17-9 record heading into Monday’s contest.
Catch all the action beginning at 8:00 PM Central Time as the Memphis Grizzlies look to capitalize on the road and earn their 16th win of the season.