Grizzlies 120, Nuggets 99
Zach Randolph scored 20 points and Ed Davis added 17 as host Memphis handed Denver its sixth straight defeat.
Jerryd Bayless added 15 for the Grizzlies, who won for just the fourth time in 12 games. Mike Conley and James Johnson added 14 points apiece and former Nuggets center Kosta Koufos grabbed 12 rebounds to help Memphis to a dominating 46-25 edge on the boards.
Ty Lawson had 20 points and eight assists and Wilson Chandler scored 19 points for Denver. Jordan Hamilton added 12 points as the Nuggets slipped a game below .500 and failed to reach 100 points for the 10th time in 12 games.
Nate Robinson and Chandler hit 3-pointers to start the fourth quarter and pull Denver within seven before Memphis controlled the rest of the contest. Bayless capped an 11-0 run with a jumper to give the Grizzlies a 19-point advantage and Johnson’s three-point play boosted the lead to 113-88 with 4:18 to play.
The Nuggets trailed by six midway through the second quarter before finishing strong for a 56-55 lead at the break. Memphis opened the third quarter with a 12-2 burst for a nine-point advantage and increased the margin to 85-72 before adding on 35 more points in the final quarter.
GAME NOTEBOOK: The Grizzlies enjoyed a 54-30 edge in points in the paint. … Nuggets PF Kenneth Faried (ankle) played 13 minutes off the bench after missing the previous two games. … The Memphis reserves were a combined 23-of-35 from the field while boasting a 62-34 scoring edge over Denver’s bench.