Nuggets 100, Grizzlies 90

O.J. Mayo's uncanny first-half performance wasn't enough to save the Memphis Grizzlies from themselves as they dropped a 100-90 decision at Denver on Sunday.  It was their eighth loss in their last nine meetings with the Nuggets.

Mayo lit up the nets for 26 first-half points to help the Grizzlies take an early lead in a back-and-forth game.  The two teams shot over 50 percent in the first half, and each team posted a run.  The Grizzlies (3-4) closed the first quarter with a 10-1 burst, but the Nuggets erased their advantage with an 11-0 run late in the half.  In a game where neither team could afford to turn the ball over and feed the other's transition game, the game had a physical feel to it and both teams protected the ball well. The Grizzlies seemed to have everything going for them to pick up a crucial road win before their fundamentals escaped them in the second half.

Predictably, their shooting percentage tailed off, but unlike the first half, the Grizzlies were lackadaisical and made careless passes.  They spent too much time getting into their plays and ended up making frantic passes or throwing up rushed shots late in the shot clock.  They managed to pull even in the fourth when the Nuggets encountered offensive troubles of their own, but a late 7-0 run for Denver put the game away.

The Nuggets scored 22 second-chance points to the Grizzlies' 5.  I think that stat highlights the Grizzlies' lack of effort in cleaning up the offensive glass.  The turnovers mounted in the second half for the Grizzlies, who finished with a total of 22.  After shooting better from 3-point range in their win over Golden State on Friday, the Grizzlies made only 5-of-16 long-range attempts on Sunday.

The Grizzlies need to figure out how to win on the road in order to be a playoff contender.  They can't afford to keep having the mental mistakes that have cost them in their last two losses.  They just don't seem like they are concentrating on their gameplan.  At times they work hard, but other times they don't seem motivated.

The bright spot so far has been the play of Kyle Lowry, who scored eight points and was a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line in 28 minutes off the bench. Quinton Ross led the bench players with nine points and three rebounds.