The Memphis Grizzlies (34 - 12) trounced the Denver Nuggets (19 - 28) 99 - 69 on Thursday at the FedEx Forum. This game can be summed up by a single possession halfway through the third quarter where Memphis' Zach Randolph missed three shots, but pulled down three offensive rebounds and drew a foul. He made both foul shots to give Memphis a 67 - 47 lead. This possession was indicative of the overall dominance of the Grizzlies in this game coupled with the overall ineptitude displayed by the Nuggets. Randolph finished the night with 15 points and 17 rebounds in just 30 minutes on the floor. Denver stopped the bleeding of a seven - game losing streak Wednesday night by beating New Orleans 93 - 85 in New Orleans. However, the Nuggets came out flat and were routed by one of the best teams in the West. They shot a paltry 2 - for - 26 from beyond the arc, which is good enough for 8 percent. On the injury front, JaVale McGee returned to the floor in a bench role Thursday and had two points and five rebounds in 15 minutes on the floor. Denver will host Charlotte on Saturday before playing six of its next seven on the road. Memphis is clearly cognizant of the teams breathing down its neck for the second seed in the West and certainly played like it Thursday with a dominant performance. Even without Mike Conley, who is battling a wrist injury, Memphis was able to build a big lead in the early goings. Vince Carter exited the game with a left foot injury and did not return, but the severity of his injury is unclear at this point. Memphis will look to extend its winning streak to six games Saturday when Oklahoma City comes to town.
["TeamStat(G,'Grizzlies') has 12 Percentage of 3 points ,has 99 Losses ,has 34 Total points ."
 "TeamStat(G,'Nuggets') has 8 Percentage of 3 points ,has 28 Losses ,has 69 Total points ,has 19 Wins ."]