Game 37: Denver Nuggets (21-15) @ Memphis Grizzlies (17-16) - 8:00PM

ducler · Post #1 » by **ducler** » Fri Mar 12, 2021 8:58 pm

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GeorgeSears · Post #2 » by **GeorgeSears** » Sat Mar 13, 2021 2:11 am

Frustrating first half. It feels like the Nuggets should be up but Clarke has bailed out the Grizzlies off the bench.

Post #3 » by **THE J0KER** » Sat Mar 13, 2021 2:20 am

Jokic injury is the last thing we need.

Don't seem serious to me.

skywalker33 · Post #4 » by **skywalker33** » Sat Mar 13, 2021 2:26 am

Murray still MOPING he didn't get into the ASG

Post #5 » by **THE J0KER** » Sat Mar 13, 2021 2:50 am

So refreshing to see the Nuggets winning 3rd quarter against a decent team this season, but unfortunately a 0-8 run in the very last minute make this game close again.

Our starting guards are 3-17 after 3/4, but with great defense, Jokic's usual MVP game, MPJ big playing time (aka 20-10 game), and Barton as factor-X, we can survive it.

skywalker33 · Post #6 » by **skywalker33** » Sat Mar 13, 2021 3:15 am

Close game but MEM has been on a roll lately so a good road win here.....within 2 games of LAC and 4th place in the West

New game though.....

I call it..Where's Murray ??

GeorgeSears · Post #7 » by **GeorgeSears** » Sat Mar 13, 2021 3:17 am

Nuggets dodged a bullet at the end with Murray going 1-14. Barton and Porter stepped up and Jokic, the MVP, was obviously fantastic.

Post #8 » by **THE J0KER** » Sat Mar 13, 2021 3:54 am

Very important win for the Nuggets (5th straight!) to establish themselves into WC TOP5. Grizzlies can't miss the 3pt in the last 6 minutes (I think they shoot 5-5), but MPJ, Barton, and Joker strike back and scored threes too in the last 3 minutes. Malone should stop with these ridiculous subs in last-minute Dozier instead of Porter, it never works when you bench better rebounder, blocker, and FT% shooter when you lead, so from +4 in the last 40 seconds we are in a position to lose the game (Plumlee instead Jokic never worked as well, analytics part of Nuggets coaching staff should present these data to Malone). That last Memphis attack is a sign that officials finally started to respect Jokic more. It is about time for a legit MVP contender.

Millsap should play from the bench. Clark outplayed him today, but there is just a few so good backup PF in the league like Clark is while Millsap's 11-7 numbers in 22 minutes are what we need from the bench. If we lost today it would be Murray to be blamed of course, with 1-14 shooting this is one of his career-worst games offensively (if not the worst), but playing lately like true all-star he deserves some credit... and we won this game after all. Porter was 21-9 in 35 minutes, but he is 19-9 player per-36, so that is the benefits of playing him full playing time instead of these senseless Malone's 20-25mpg restrictions we see in the first third of the season. Barton surrounded by Jokic, Murray, and MPJ in starting lineup is focused on the 3&D type of the game which makes him way more useful than when he stealing Porter minutes playing hero balls and handling ball too much. And in a day when he shooting 5-10 for three, he is our factor-X to win a game, which exactly happens today.

Memphis are 14-28 for 3pt today (Nuggs 13-37), and teams are tied today in rebounds and assists (45-27 both), so what makes difference in Nuggets' favor are steals (our starters steal 9 while Memphis 2). Brooks and Clark overperformed today, but we stopped Morant and Andersen. Grizzlies are a good team, a very good team once J.Jackson is back.

Mickey8 · Post #9 » by **Mickey8** » Sat Mar 13, 2021 6:51 am

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Refs have zero respect for Jokic, on the last play when his shot was blocked by Clark , Jokic was fouled by Valanciunas , he pushed him in the back, in front of that idiot ref, it should have been automatically two free throws for Jokic , also he was fouled bunch of time in this game , and refs didn't blow the whistle, is unbelievable how many and ones they always miss with Jokic every game (there were three uncalled in this game), and it is all in front of the refs. Can Denver office do something about it, to complain , send the video to the NBA . The Lakers did that through their "secret channels" (that would have been a scandal in every league that treats its competition fairly), after Denver won their only game in the last season play off series and after that Denver was butchered by the refs every game. Even though Lakers had favored refereeing before the complaint, after that Denver wasn't allowed to compete against them.

Post #10 » by **NuggetsWY** » Sat Mar 13, 2021 1:53 pm

I was really puzzled about the very last Memphis inbound. Why was Barton guarding in the inbound pass? Well, "guarding" isn't the right word. He was looking behind himself - allowing Brooks a fairly easy pass.

Ignoring Malone's ending rotation of Porter on the bench, that last inbounds pass should have had a tall player guarding the throw. There wasn't time for Memphis to do much once they got the ball in play. So the player guarding the inbound pass was not significant for any other play - not really.

Bol, Hartenstein, Porter all come to mind as nice tall players that would make it hard for Brooks to pass the ball into play. But why, oh why, use Barton? He might as well have been a statue on that play.