It took a full 11 years, but Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets have finally done it: they’ve won 10 games in a row.
The Nuggets defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 136-119 in second half blowout fashion on Wednesday night. Everyone knew what was going on and what was at stake for the Nuggets in this one, and though the Grizzlies shot well in the first half, they went cold in the second half and allowed the Nuggets to separate in the fourth quarter.
“I’m proud of it,” David Adelman said to media postgame. “10 in a row is the real deal. It’s a real thing.”
Early on, the Nuggets allowed the Grizzlies some three-pointers that got them into rhythm. Memphis made some impressive shots, but a lot of those looks were simply catch-and-shoot jumpers after kickouts. Memphis started the game shooting 13-of-27 from three in the first half, but a 6-of-23 shooting performance in the second half simplified things greatly for the Nuggets defense.
“They’re playing like pickup, some shots I’m not even expecting them to shoot, and they’re making them,” Jamal Murray admitted postgame. “[The Grizzlies] were hot the other night too. Anytime you do something like that, you go into the next game super confident.”
Last game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Grizzlies made an impossible 29 three-pointers, tying the NBA record for most makes in a single game. This late stage version of the Grizzlies is simply getting a bunch of threes up, and while they shot efficiently in the first half, that luck ran out in the second half at altitude on a short rotation.
The Nuggets took advantage of the opportunity, outscoring Memphis 39-22 in the third quarter. Nikola Jokic had 14 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists, another triple-double through just three quarters. He played a fantastic game despite the low shot total (5-of-8 from the field), drawing a lot of attention on offense while staying engaged on defense, especially in the third quarter.
Jamal Murray led the way as a scorer with 26 points, shooting 8-of-17 from the field, 5-of-10 from three, and 5-of-5 from the line. He added 7 rebounds and 5 assists, playing with solid efficiency on volume while breaking down the Grizzlies defenders, who appeared overwhelmed trying to stay in front of Murray.
The Nuggets had eight different players score in double figures on Wednesday night. Joining Murray and Jokic were Cam Johnson (18 points), Christian Braun and Jonas Valanciunas (14), Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown (13) and Julian Strawther (10). The scoring effort was balanced, and everyone contributed to an offense that continues to shine by generating open shots for everyone consistently.
Specifically, it’s time to mention Hardaway, who shot 3-of-8 from three-point range and continues to give the Nuggets everything they need from a floor spacer. He passed Michael Porter Jr.’s single-season three-point mark on Wednesday night, something Murray did a little earlier in this stretch. To do so from the bench is remarkable and shows the consistency he’s brought to the table every single night as a shooting threat.
“Just picking and choosing my spots wisely,” Hardaway said of how he’s been successful shooting the ball this year. “Trying to be as aggressive as I can out there on the floor, while also having that [team] mindset.”
“He’s Sixth Man of the Year,” Murray stated plainly about Hardaway’s season. “It’s always good to have somebody that you can rely on, not just to put the ball through the hoop, but for the energy and the leadership every single night.”
“His green light is as bright as it can be,” Adelman said of his confidence in Hardaway being aggressive looking for his shot. “When he is open, or if he feels like he’s open, I’m very okay with him shooting the ball.”
“We’ve won so much over the years that you would expect that we’d get to a double-digit win streak. I think it speaks to the consistency over the years, always bouncing back after a loss.”
Hardaway this year has had 56 games of double-digit scoring. He’s also made multiple three-pointers in 56 games. The Nuggets are 37-9 in games that Hardaway has a positive plus-minus, showing just how important his impact has been on the Nuggets rotation this year.
In Game 80 of the season, the Nuggets have officially found their stride against an easier portion of their schedule.
“When your schedule breaks your way, you have to take advantage of it,” Adelman declared. “And we’ve done that.”
After Game 70, the Nuggets had a 42-28 record that was merely good but not great. It certainly wasn’t championship caliber, though it factors in that the Nuggets schedule only ever got easier at Game 70.
Since then, they’ve turned what was a good record into a borderline great record. At 52-28, the Nuggets have the fifth best record in the NBA. It may not feel like it sometimes, but the Nuggets are very close to an elite team. They haven’t won as many games in blowout fashion against inferior opponents as one might hope, but they’re winning now, and that’s what matters most.
The final two games of the season are against the teams with the two best records in the NBA. Both the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs are locked into the first and second seeds in the Western Conference respectively. The Nuggets have an opportunity to lock up the third seed in the conference as soon as Friday against OKC. It’s unlikely the Thunder will play their main players extended minutes, but anything’s possible.
After all the Nuggets have gone through this year, they’re nearly at the finish line. Now isn’t the time to let up though. We saw how that went in 2024 when the Nuggets lost an important game to the…San Antonio Spurs…that prevented them from getting the seeding they wanted. Did that impact their playoff run? Absolutely.
Let’s see what this weekend hols on Friday and Sunday, then reassess from there.
For now, a 10-game win streak is nothing to sneeze at.
