The Denver Nuggets had a brutal back-to-back going from Tuesday in Denver to Wednesday in Memphis, and it showed in their performance.
The Nuggets lost 125-118 to the Memphis Grizzlies, a team effectively hoping to get the highest possible draft pick, due almost entirely to their own mistakes. The Nuggets couldn’t string together enough positive possessions in the second half to go on a sustained run, even though the Grizzlies left the door wide open for most of the evening.
Turnovers were the leading issue, and Nikola Jokic was the primary culprit. The Nuggets committed 19 turnovers as a team leading to 27 Grizzlies points. Jokic had 10 of the turnovers himself, appearing unwilling or unable to attack the rim in an efficient manner against a Grizzlies team featuring no centers. Memphis started GG Jackson and Olivier Maxence-Prosper tonight, and Jokic barely attempted to score at the rim until the second half even began.
That set the tone for the Nuggets tonight, who did get some solid performances from both Cam Johnson and Christian Braun. Johnson finished with 20 points
Unfortunately, neither player was perfect, and the Nuggets somehow needed perfection against a Grizzlies squad that actively rested Ty Jerome in crunch time, who hit at least three logo threes against the Nuggets in the first three quarters. They didn’t get it, with key misses under the rim and key turnovers in the fourth quarter.
Denver simply didn’t have a lot to give in this one and didn’t play connected basketball. The Grizzlies didn’t even play particularly well, but they were clearly more engaged and on point with their game plan, harassing Jokic with undersized but athletic wings and forwards while consistently challenging his dribble.
Yes, Jokic finished the game with a near triple-double of 29 points, 14 rebounds, and 9 assists. Yes, Jamal Murray also had 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 12 assists of his own. There were aspects of Denver’s night that were solid on the surface.
But none of the stats matter in this spot. Games like these are entirely about execution, stringing together consistency, defense, and shotmaking to go on a run. The Nuggets had several chances to make it happen, but they messed up their own flow with an ill-timed turnover (or four in a row), a missed layup under the basket, or a missed defensive rebound to consistently give the Grizzlies life.
The Grizzlies played 12 players, and none of them exceeded 26 minutes played. They were fresh, excited to play, picked up the Nuggets with fullcourt defense, and put up 29 fast break points.
By comparison, the Nuggets, an older team on the second night of a back-to-back, played just seven players in the second half. Denver was always going to be tired, but David Adelman exacerbated the issue by playing his starters and just two bench players heavy minutes in the second half. It wasn’t a good plan, and the Nuggets simply didn’t have enough in the tank to execute what Adelman was asking for.
This is just another example of the Nuggets taking a step back, negating the positive momentum they previously accumulated in taking one or two steps forward. After dominating the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday, the Nuggets turned around and laid an egg on the second night of a back-to-back.
For a team that’s trying to win a championship, this level of attention to detail looks eerily similar to last season at around the same time. The Nuggets struggled in March of 2025 and ultimately fired former head coach Michael Malone in April of 2025 because the team wasn’t motivated and needed a catalyst heading into the playoffs.
David Adelman’s job is safe heading into the playoffs, but the Nuggets are still experiencing many of the same issues they experienced under Malone last year.
The biggest one: a complete and utter dependence on Aaron Gordon being healthy. Jokic is quite simply a better, more efficient basketball player when Gordon plays. The numbers are staggering on his and Denver’s level of success when Gordon is available. Gordon sat on the second night of a back-to-back because the Nuggets are trying to do the right thing, but for Denver to immediately flounder without Gordon is a sign of a rickety structure being held by scotch tape.
When Gordon and Peyton Watson play, the Nuggets have an added level of athleticism and versatility that they clearly miss right now. Jokic and Murray weren’t at the top of their games on Wednesday, but Braun and Johnson aren’t true playmakers in the way that Gordon is or dynamic drivers in the way Watson is. Their presence will allow the Nuggets to find some consistency.
And it better, because time continues to tick down on Denver’s season. Some nights, they look like a Finals contender. Some nights, they look like an easy first round exit. Last season, I felt very comfortable prescribing a second round ceiling to Denver. This year, I have no idea what they will be.
Clearly, the Nuggets aren’t quite sure either.
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