Denver's next challenge isn't getting more points out of Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray. It's making sure Memphis doesn't get a second shot at every possession. The Nuggets visit the Grizzlies on Wednesday night (11 November, US time) after a 110–100 defeat in Houston exposed the cost of losing the offensive glass, even when their two best players are producing. Memphis, meanwhile, has just snapped a three-game slide and is 7–3. The NBA's fixture sets up a contest where the battle after the first missed shot could matter as much as the shot itself.
Denver had plenty of top-end scoring in Houston. Murray poured in 38 points, shooting 14-of-23 from the floor and 5-of-8 from deep; Jokić added 25 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists. That accounted for 63 of the Nuggets' 100 points, but Houston collected 15 offensive rebounds and turned its extra opportunities into a 24–11 advantage in second-chance points. Denver managed only seven offensive boards of its own. Coach David Adelman identified the lost possessions as a major reason for the defeat, and it's easy to see why: a defence can survive a difficult initial possession and still concede if it doesn't finish with the rebound. The official Denver–Houston box score tells that story without needing another highlight reel.
Memphis offers a different version of the same problem. In Monday's 118–102 win at Toronto, the Grizzlies grabbed 12 offensive rebounds, including three from rookie Cameron Boozer. Zach Edey had nine rebounds in just under 23 minutes. The Grizzlies also won the fourth-quarter rebounding battle 12–6 as they put the Raptors away. That combination gives Denver a practical assignment: the perimeter defenders can't simply turn and watch Jokić deal with the biggest body. They need to find someone, make contact and collect the loose ball before Memphis can reset its offence. The official Memphis–Toronto statistics underline how many different players can contribute to that effort.
Boozer's involvement is particularly interesting. He finished the Toronto win with 22 points, seven rebounds and eight assists, offering Memphis more than an interior finisher. He can punish a mismatch near the rim, but he also gives the Grizzlies a passing option when a defender steps across to help. Against Denver, that puts a premium on coordinated rotations: sending a second defender towards Boozer is less useful if it leaves Edey unaccounted for or creates a clean kick-out. Memphis doesn't need every possession to end with Boozer shooting to benefit from his touch and decision-making.
The Grizzlies' outside shooting adds another layer. Ty Jerome scored 27 against Toronto and hit five three-pointers, while Jerami Grant supplied 17 off the bench and made all three of his attempts from beyond the arc. Memphis went 16-of-34 from three as a team. Denver, by contrast, made eight of 29 threes in Houston; Murray accounted for five of those makes, leaving the rest of the Nuggets at a combined three from 21. If Memphis can protect the paint without overcommitting to Murray, Denver will need a sharper response from its supporting shooters rather than another night of asking two players to carry almost everything.
There's an opening for Denver at the other end, though. Memphis committed 17 turnovers in Toronto, compared with Denver's 10 in Houston. The Grizzlies' young group can play with pace and flair, but careless passes and rushed decisions give opponents the chance to score before their half-court defence gets set. Denver should be looking to pressure the first pass, get back into transition lanes and make Memphis execute against an organised defence. For all the attention on rebounding, taking the ball away cleanly would also reduce the number of possessions Denver has to defend deep into the shot clock.
Memphis's homecoming comes with a small twist: its 118–102 win in Toronto made it the first Grizzlies team to open a season with five consecutive road victories, yet Wednesday's test is back at FedExForum. Denver arrives 5–4 after a demanding stretch that included a game in Mexico City and travel disruption before Houston. As Reuters reported ahead of the matchup, Adelman wants more collective support for Murray and Jokić, while Memphis coach Tuomas Iisalo has stressed cleaner decisions. Those concerns meet in the same place: who gets the next useful possession?
The clearest route back for Denver isn't an even bigger box score from Jokić. It's a five-man rebounding effort, a little more perimeter help for Murray and enough pressure on Memphis's ball-handlers to turn the Grizzlies' energy against them. Memphis has the size, shooting and young playmaking to make that difficult. If Denver can limit second chances, it gives its stars a fair contest; if it can't, another impressive Murray–Jokić partnership could be left chasing a game decided by everyone else.
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