Denver never surrendered the lead in Memphis, but that doesn't begin to describe how close the Nuggets came to losing it. Jamal Murray scored 17 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter as Denver survived the Grizzlies' second-half surge for a 123–118 road win on Wednesday 11 November (US time). The result moved Denver to 6–4 and left Memphis at 7–4, with a home crowd watching another promising fightback fall just short. The NBA's game recap confirms Murray's explosive final period: seven makes from eight shots, including both three-point attempts.
The Nuggets had made the opening half look straightforward. They led 35–24 after one quarter and 65–52 at the break, shooting 58.3 per cent from the field with only two turnovers. Nikola Jokić was already finding scoring and passing lanes, while Denver's ability to turn possessions into good looks kept Memphis chasing. Those early numbers mattered because the Grizzlies would spend the rest of the night trying to recover the margin rather than protecting one of their own. The official NBA box-score page records the completed matchup.
Memphis didn't disappear. A 38–29 third quarter cut the deficit to 94–90, and Cameron Boozer's three had pulled the hosts within 87–86 late in the period. Cedric Coward then scored inside to make it 89–88. The Grizzlies were attacking the game rather than merely waiting for Denver to cool off, with their young frontcourt and Ty Jerome keeping the ball moving and the scoreboard close. It was precisely the sort of stretch that can turn a comfortable road win into a damaging escape attempt.
Murray was the difference between the two. Across the final minute of the third quarter and the middle of the fourth, he accounted for 20 of Denver's 24 points, according to Reuters' account of the game. His 30 points came with eight assists, and he shot 12-for-19 overall, including four makes from seven three-point attempts. Denver needed a guard willing to take responsibility when Memphis had found a rhythm; Murray supplied both the scoring and the composure to stop the comeback becoming a change of leader.
That didn't settle it. Jerome's basket with 2:42 remaining brought Memphis within 115–113, but Cameron Johnson answered with five straight Denver points. His three-pointer, set up by Jokić with 1:01 left, stretched the lead to 120–113 and forced Memphis to find another route back. Johnson's 23 points were more than a useful third scoring line behind Murray and Jokić. They were the late-game support Denver needed when every Grizzlies possession carried real pressure. The Associated Press game report details that exchange.
Even then, the Grizzlies made the final minute uncomfortable. Jaylen Wells hit a three and Zach Edey added a hook shot to reduce the margin to 120–118 with 20.6 seconds left. Memphis rookie Boozer subsequently missed a three-point attempt that could've tied the game with 6.9 seconds remaining. Denver finally closed it from the foul line, making three of four free throws in the final 13.9 seconds. That's a narrow escape for a team that had led by as many as 18, not a routine five-point victory.
Jokić finished with 27 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, giving Denver a powerful interior organiser alongside Murray's perimeter scoring. Memphis countered with 22 points apiece from Jerome and Wells; Coward posted 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Boozer had 13 and 11. The hosts' resistance was real, especially after the interval, but their four consecutive home defeats now sit awkwardly beside a 5–0 start on the road. They've shown they can fight their way into games; turning that fight into home wins is the immediate challenge.
For Denver, the encouraging part isn't simply that Murray got hot. It's that his fourth-quarter shot-making and Johnson's timely contribution gave Jokić meaningful help when Memphis made a concerted push. The Nuggets have now won five of seven, and this was a reminder that their best late-game offence doesn't have to be Jokić scoring every crucial basket. Memphis made them work for all 48 minutes; Murray ensured that work ended with a win.
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