Denver Nuggets Travel to the Grindhouse to Face Grizzlies

The Denver Nuggets travel to Memphis to try to make it two wins in a row on Friday as they face the Grizzlies at the FedEx Forum.

The Denver Nuggets pulled out a close win on Wednesday over the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center by a score of 78-74. In what was an exercise in inefficient basket on Wednesday in Minnesota, the Denver Nuggets overcame sloppy play to secure a key victory, snapping their 6-game losing streak. Danilo Gallinari, in his third game back from injury, led all scorers with 20 points, while Jusuf Nurkic notched a double-double of 15 points and 10 boards against the Wolves.

Next: Denver Nuggets Snap Losing Streak, Beat Wolves 78-74

The Memphis Grizzlies (19-18) are currently 6th in the Western Conference; and have not had the season that they themselves, or many pundits believed when the season began. In an up and down season for the Grizzlies, they have won four straight games at the FedEx Forum. The Grizzlies have also won their last six games in Memphis against the Denver Nuggets, as well as four out of their last five.

The Grizzlies most recently fell in Oklahoma City on Thursday by a score of 112-94. Courtney Lee bruised his hip against the Thunder, and is listed as questionable for Friday’s game against the Denver Nuggets, as is point guard Mike Conley, who is currently dealing with a sore achilles. Given how important both Conley and Lee are to the Grizzlies, and the fact that they are Memphis’s starting backcourt, it is perhaps fortuitous for the Denver Nuggets that they are playing the Grizzlies while these two are struggling with injuries.

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Marc Gasol is at the center of everything the Grizzlies do, and epitomizes their style of play. He leads the team in scoring with 16.0 points per game, and is dangerous on both the offensive and defensive end. Zach Randolph is now coming off the bench for Dave Joerger’s team, but is still putting up good numbers, averaging 13.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. In the event that Conley and Lee are unable to play, Tony Allen and Mario Chalmers will probably get the start.

For the Denver Nuggets, the return of Danilo Gallinari and Jusuf Nurkic are key to their future success this season. Since Gallinari’s return, he is averaging 24.3 points per game. Nurkic, while playing somewhat limited minutes as he begins to re-acclimate to the grind of an NBA season, may soon find himself back in the starting lineup, as the second-year center is averaging 10 points and 7 rebounds per game since coming back.