Gasol's bucket at buzzer lifts Grizzlies past Nuggets
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Center Marc Gasol hit a short shot in the lane as time expired to lift the Memphis Grizzlies to a 108-107 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night at FedExForum.
Denver guard Emmanuel Mudiay, who scored a game-high 23 points, appeared to have made the winning basket with 7.9 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Trailing 106-105, the Nuggets trapped point guard Mike Conley on an inbounds play. Guard Gary Harris stole the ball and passed to Mudiay, who finished with a running dunk.
But the Grizzlies, after turning the ball over with 4.7 seconds left, got a reprieve when Conley stole Mike Miller's inbounds pass. Conley drove toward the basket and the ball flew out of bounds but was ruled Memphis ball.
Vince Carter (20 points, five assists off the bench) lobbed the ball from the baseline on the inbounds play to Gasol for the winning shot. Gasol finished with 19 points and six assists. Forward Zach Randolph scored 16 points with eight rebounds off the bench. Conley had 10 points, seven assists and five steals.
All five Denver starters scored in double-figures with Danilo Gallinari scoring 21 points with seven rebounds, Harris 15 points, forward Nikola Jokic 12 points and center Jusuf Nurkic chipping in 11 points with seven rebounds.
Denver (3-4) hit 35 of 70 shots from the floor for 50 percent, including 10 of 24 from 3-point range.
Memphis (4-4) made 44 of 86 from the field and 7 of 24 from long range.
The Grizzlies dominated points in the paint 58-34. Memphis also scored 24 points off 22 Nuggets turnovers.
Rookie Andrew Harrison perhaps took a step toward winning the Grizzlies' backup point guard job as he finished with 10 points, six assists, four steals, a block and three turnovers in 26 minutes.
The score was tied 26-26 after one quarter and 56-56 at halftime. Gallinari and Gasol led the first-half scoring with 12 points apiece. Denver shot 53.8 percent in the first half and the Grizzlies shot 48.9 percent.
NOTES: Second-year Denver G Emmanuel Mudiay scored 24 points in the first quarter of the team's 123-107 victory at Boston on Sunday and finished with a career-high 30 points. Mudiay went 9 of 10 from the floor in the first quarter and was 3 of 4 from 3-point range. ... Memphis PG Mike Conley came into Tuesday's game leading the team in scoring (20.8 points per game) and assists (6.7). He was one of only eight NBA players leading his team in both categories. ... Denver SG Will Barton missed his fourth straight game with a sprained left ankle. ... Grizzlies G/F Tony Allen was out with a right groin injury. Allen was held out of the first three games this season with knee soreness.