Nikola Jokic had 47 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists, Will Barton scored 28, and the host Denver Nuggets rallied to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 139-137 in double overtime on Monday night.
Michael Porter Jr. scored 21 points, JaMychal Green and Paul Millsap had 12 each off the bench and P.J. Dozier added 10 for Denver.
Ja Morant finished with 36 points and 12 assists, Grayson Allen scored 24 and Xavier Tillman had 18 points and 14 rebounds for Memphis.
De’Anthony Melton came off the bench to score 25 points after missing the last eight games, Kyle Anderson had 11 points and John Konchar 10 for the Grizzlies.
Both teams were short-handed. Denver guard Monte Morris was out with a left hamstring strain, Memphis center Jonas Valanciunas was out with a concussion and Dillon Brooks didn’t play because of a left thigh injury.
The Grizzlies got Justise Winslow and Brandon Clarke back from injury as well as Melton.
The Nuggets scored the first four points of the second overtime, but a 3-pointer by Morant gave the Grizzlies the lead. Porter tied it with a 3-pointer, the teams traded baskets before Jokic hit a 3-pointer to put Denver ahead 137-134 with 41.1 seconds left.
Allen missed a 3-pointer and Dozier made two free throws with 9.4 seconds left to ice it.
Jokic’s layup to open overtime gave Denver its first lead since the first quarter, but Morant scored the next seven points to put Memphis ahead 125-120. Barton’s 3-pointer with 12 seconds left sent it to a second overtime.
Memphis led 114-102 with 3:52 left in regulation, but the Nuggets rallied to tie it on two free throws by Jokic with 20.1 seconds left.
Denver led 44-40 in the second quarter before Memphis scored the next 14 points to go ahead by 10. The Nuggets rallied to cut it to 60-56 at the half.
The Grizzlies led by 13 in the third, but Denver rallied to cut it to 86-85. Memphis stretched it to 95-87 heading into the fourth.
–Field Level Media