By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Nikola Jokic flirted with an unorthodox quadruple-double on Wednesday night, but his efforts weren’t enough to prevent the Denver Nuggets from falling 125-118 to the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum.
In a makeup fixture from January 25, the Serbian center posted a dominant line of 29 points on 11/19 field goals, 14 rebounds, and nine assists. However, the Grizzlies’ relentless pressure forced the 31-year-old into 10 turnovers, overshadowing his three blocks and one steal in 39 minutes of action.
“All the credit goes to the guys,” said Finnish head coach Tuomas Iisalo in a postgame press conference regarding the ten turnovers. “I thought we’ve had a couple of good game plans going into both of the games [against Jokic]. That’s why I think he’s had those big turnover numbers. In the games, we’ve been able to wear him down with full-court pressure, with a little bit smaller units, but still really active, and it’s not just been the guy on the ball, but it’s also the other guy shrinking the floor, being very active.”
Recognizing the difficulty of containing the Nuggets’ star, 43-year-old Iisalo added, “He’s an amazing offensive player. So, there’s not one thing you can do, but the worst thing is if he knows exactly what’s coming up.”
With the loss, the team coached by David Adelman dropped to a 42-28 record for the 2025-26 NBA Regular Season. Lithuanian backup Jonas Valanciunas saw limited action, tallying four points and three rebounds in just six minutes of play.
The Grizzlies entered the contest without their usual European flair. Spanish forward Santi Aldama remains out for the season following right knee surgery, while French wing Rayan Rupert was recently assigned to the G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle.
“You can sense it in the locker room. Great energy after the game, and very happy also about the nature, how it came through,” mentioned Iisalo. “It wasn’t one of those games where we’re shooting lights and the opposition is somehow, or we are lucky, and they’re not. This was the best type of win, which is one where you win without making shots. And it came through a very active defense, and everybody sharing the ball, and everybody contributed to it.”
By snapping an eight-game losing streak and improving to 24–44, the Grizzlies kept their season alive. However, they remain 10.5 games out of the Western Conference Play-In zone with only 14 games remaining.