Nuggets chase 10th straight
Denver is trying to extend a winning streak to 10 games against Memphis, riding heavy production from Nikola Jokić — who’s averaging a triple-double (26.4 points, 14.3 rebounds, 13.0 assists) — and Jamal Murray, who’s averaging 27.8 points during the run. If they hit ten, it would be a momentum statement with playoff seeding and confidence implications for Denver’s title defense. (x.com)
Denver’s “can they flip the switch in time?” question is starting to disappear. On Wednesday, April 8, the Nuggets beat Memphis 136-119 at Ball Arena for their 10th straight win, with Nikola Jokić posting 14 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists in 31 minutes. (nba.com) That result matters because Denver did not spend this season parked near the top of the West. On March 18, the Nuggets lost 125-118 in Memphis and were still chasing teams above them in the standings, which tells you how quickly this late push changed the picture. (nba.com) The center of it is Jokić doing point guard work in a seven-footer’s body. His player page lists another triple-double against Memphis on April 8, and ESPN’s standings snapshot attached to his profile shows Denver at 52-28 with a 10-game winning streak. (nba.com) (espn.com) Jokić already turned this season into a history line last year when he became only the third player in National Basketball Association history to lock up a triple-double average for a full season, joining Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook. Denver is now getting that same all-court version again at the exact moment the regular season is closing. (nba.com) (espn.com) Memphis has also been the right opponent for Denver to build rhythm against. The Nuggets beat the Grizzlies 122-116 on February 11 behind Jokić’s 26 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists, then answered that March loss by beating Memphis again on April 8. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) (nba.com 3) What changed over the streak is that Denver stopped needing one perfect night from one star. In the March 18 loss, Jamal Murray had 19 points and 12 assists, but Denver still gave up 125; in the April 8 win, Jokić had a quiet 14-point triple-double because the rest of the lineup carried scoring volume. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) That is the version of Denver that scares teams in a playoff series. When Jokić can control pace, Murray can hunt shots, and role players can turn a triple-double night into a 17-point win, opponents stop defending actions and start guessing. (nba.com) The standings still show how much ground Denver had to make up late. ESPN’s April 9 snapshot lists Oklahoma City at 64-16 and Denver at 52-28, so this streak did not erase the gap at the top, but it did turn Denver back into the team nobody wants to draw in the first round. (espn.com) With the regular season almost out of runway, 10 straight wins is less about a pretty number than about timing. Denver spent the last two weeks turning April from a seeding scramble into a reminder that the defending champions’ basic formula still works: put the ball in Jokić’s hands, let Murray attack off it, and make everyone else react. (nba.com)
