Nikola Jokic outduels Ja Morant as Denver Nuggets take Western lead over Grizzlies

The stars showed up ready to play, and the styles couldn't have been more different.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant dribbled up and down the floor at the speed of light as he put relentless pressure on the Denver Nuggets defense. On the other end, Nikola Jokic took his time, methodically waiting on his teammates to get open before making passes that would make the Harlem Globetrotters proud.

The Grizzlies got off to a slow start and couldn't overcome the big deficit in a 105-91 loss to the Nuggets at Ball Arena on Tuesday night.

Morant led the Grizzlies with 35 points and 10 assists.

Jokic secured a triple-double in third quarter as the Nuggets (19-11) used a balanced effort to put the Grizzlies defense in uncomfortable situations. Each Nuggets starter scored at least 12 points. Jokic finished with 13 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists.

After winning seven straight, the Grizzlies have lost their last two games. Memphis shot five of 26 on 3-pointers.

The Grizzlies (19-11) are now 6-9 on the road. The loss moves Memphis down to second in the Western Conference standings, while Denver jumps into the top spot.

Here are some takeaways from the game.

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Another slow start

For the second consecutive game, the Grizzlies seemed a step slower than their opponent out of the gate. The Nuggets led by 21 points at the end of the first quarter and by as many as 23 in the first half. Jokic broke down the Grizzlies' defense, but Denver controlled the rebounding against one of the NBA's best teams in that department.

Morant had 13 points and eight assists in the first half, but no other starter scored more than five points in the first half. Meanwhile, every Denver starter scored six or more points to usher the fast start.

To make matters worse, Jaren Jackson Jr. had three blocks in the first half, but he had to sit the final nine minutes due to being in foul trouble. Jackson picked up his fourth foul with 9:26 left in the third quarter after Jokic threaded a pass to Aaron Gordon that led to a dunk challenged by Jackson.

Star-studded affair

Morant and Jokic dived to the floor and scrapped for a loose ball. It's not too often that the two stars do the dirty work, but that sequence set the tone for the third quarter. Morant dashed up the floor and forced the issue on offense, while Jokic made circus passes and knocked down 3-pointers. Both players showed up and played like stars. Morant scored 19 points in the third quarter, but Jokic had five points, five rebounds and six dazzling assists to keep the Grizzlies star from leading a comeback.

Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins made a bold decision when he kept Morant in the game to start the fourth quarter. That's usually when Morant gets his rest, but Jenkins instead opted to give Morant a two-minute breather midway through the fourth quarter. It wasn't until after the two-minute break that Morant scored his first fourth quarter basket.

Where was Brandon Clarke?

When it was announced that Jackson would likely miss the beginning of the season, some fans wanted Brandon Clarke to start. The Grizzlies had rewarded Clarke with a contract extension comparable to some of the NBA's best rising centers. Clarke entered Tuesday having scored double-digit points in eight straight games, but he was an afterthought against the Nuggets. Clarke had zero points, one rebound and no assists through three quarters in six minutes.

Clarke came alive in the fourth quarter and made a big impact as the Grizzlies made a fourth quarter run. He finished with 10 points and five rebounds.

John Konchar has said he needs to be aggressive searching for his shots this season, but he didn't provide much offense on Tuesday. Despite starting 16 games since Desmond Bane got injured, Konchar has scored in single digits in his last six starts. Konchar finished with no points, one rebound and one assist in 15:34.

What's next

The schedule doesn't get any easier from here. The Grizzlies will travel to Arizona to take on the Phoenix Suns on Friday (9 p.m. CT, ESPN). The Suns have played their last two games without all-star guard Devin Booker, and they're also missing key depth pieces Cameron Johnson and Cameron Payne. This is the first meeting between the Grizzlies and Suns this season.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Nikola Jokic outduels Ja Morant; Denver takes Western lead over Grizzlies