Jokic recorded the 184th triple-double of his career with 26 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists. Murray added 22 points and was 4 of 4 from the foul line in the final 11.7 seconds.
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Tim Hardaway Jr. added 21 points for the Nuggets, who head into the break at 35-20 despite an injury-plagued season in which all five starters missed time and six of their top rotation players were out for significant periods.
The Grizzlies, underdogs of 10 of 12, erased a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter, largely with Jokic on the bench, but were never able to take the final lead.
Jokic reached the triple-double when he assisted Hardaway on a three-pointer with 5 seconds left in the third quarter to take a 93-81 lead.
The Nuggets pulled away in the second quarter when they hit four consecutive three-pointers to make the score 44-33. But the Grizzlies scored the last seven points of the first half to lead 60-54 at halftime.
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They used another 7-0 run to get within 66-65 and force a timeout at 8:58 of the third quarter. A three-pointer by GG Jackson II, whose 21 points led Memphis, tied the score at 68, but the Grizzlies were never able to take the lead.
Denver coach David Adelman said Spencer Jones, whose two-way contract has not yet been converted, is still “at the end of the concussion protocol” and “the negotiation that’s going on there is obviously going on slowly because of the concussion.” Jones is expected to sign a prorated contract before the Nuggets return to action after the All-Star break, one that would also allow them to sign a 15th player down the stretch.
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Grizzlies: will host the Utah Jazz on Friday, February 20.
Nuggets: visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday, February 19.
___ AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA