DENVER – The Nuggets came into the Pepsi Center looking to remain the sole owner of the eighth seed in the Western Conference. Instead, they allowed the Grizzlies to dictate the entirety of the game and ended up losing 119-99.

The first quarter was a back and forth ordeal but was highlighted by Jameer Nelson getting ejected with just under eight minutes remaining in the 1st quarter. He got called for a hand-check foul, was arguing the call from the bench and he was given a double-technical foul and was tossed from the game.

Without Nelson, it was the Danilo Gallinari show. Gallinari kept the offense afloat while the overall defense of the team kept the game close. The Nuggets offense then collapsed without Gallinari and the defense remained awful at best. The Nuggets carried a deficit of nine into the second quarter with a score of 27-18.

The second quarter was much of the same. The Nuggets struggling to get good looks offensively and getting scorched on the defensive end. Denver did just enough to stay in the game but the Grizzlies kept on the throttle and Denver had no answer. Darrell Arthur did his best to keep the Nuggets close with a trio of three-pointers but Denver went into halftime down 62-49. Arthur finished with 14 points and five rebounds on the night.

“The fact that we didn’t play much defense in that first half. They shot 55 percent in the first half. We had poor communication and poor closeouts,” Michael Malone said. “When you play against a good team like that and you don’t defend you will have a long night like we did tonight.”

The Nuggets came out firing to start the second half. After five quick points from Harris and a beautiful finish from Murray, the Nuggets started to show signs of life. Denver eventually slimmed the deficit to single digits but the Grizzlies, behind Marc Gasol, who finished with 24 points, five rebounds, and three assists, pushed the lead back to 15.

To pour salt into the wound Gallinari ended up taking a foul on Vince Carter, who finished with 14 points, six assists, and five rebounds, to remove himself from the game. Gallinari tried testing his ankle for one play but removed himself from the game and limped to the locker room. Without Gallinari the Nuggets offense stalled and the Nuggets deficit ballooned to 18 and the Nuggets went into the final frame down 87-69. Gallinari would not return due to a left groin strain. He finished with 14 points and three rebounds.

Without Gallinari, the Nuggets ran out of gas and did not have much left in the tank on the second night of a back to back. Denver ended up losing 119-99 and are now in a tie with the Portland Trailblazers for the eighth seed in the Western Conference.

Quote of the game

“This was one of the harder games I have had to coach the whole year,” Malone explained after the loss. “We are already thin because of injuries and then Jameer gets thrown out three minutes into the game. I have more minute restrictions than probably any coach in the NBA. Trying to juggle all of that and then Gallo goes down. It was a very tough game in every facet. That is where we are and that is the way we have to go right now.”

Footnotes

Mudiay returned to the court after dealing with lower back pain, which held him out for Denver’s last five games and put up 14 points, seven assists, and six rebounds.

Nelson was ejected just four minutes into the game for arguing a very questionable call. He was given a double-technical foul and was tossed.

Gallinari was diagnosed with a strained left groin and did not return to the game after exiting at the end of the third quarter.

“He will get an MRI in the morning after he sees how it feels,” Malone said in respect to Gallinari. “These are the dog days, man. You have eight more games until the All-Star break. We are trying to get through that in one piece if we can.”

What’s next

The Nuggets will remain in Denver to take on the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night looking to take back the eighth seed in the West.