The Memphis Grizzlies travel to Colorado to face the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on Friday.

The Grizzlies (31-16) might be the hottest team in the NBA, entering this matchup winning 12 of their last 14 games. The most recent game was a narrow loss in Milwaukee but taking the Bucks to the limit in a road game shows just how much this team has improved. Ja Morant had a cool 32 points and 15 assists in that masterpiece, matching his career-high in dimes. He's been playing at that sort of level all season, and he's truly looking like one of the best players in the NBA. They've been doing this damage with numerous absences, too, with Dillon Brooks continually on the sidelines. He was one of the most valuable players in the Grizzlies playoff run last year, and fans can't wait to see him back and fully healthy.

The Nuggets (23-20) are playing some of their best basketball right now, entering this matchup winning five of their last seven games. The most recent win was one of the best of the season, grabbing an overtime victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. It was a nail-biter, too, with Aaron Gordon nailing a game-winning three with 2.2 seconds remaining. He finished that game with 28 points, but the performance of Nikola Jokic was absolutely absurd. The 2020-21 MVP finished that game with 49 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists in one of the lines of the season. They also for a near triple-double from Monte Morris, which is the true key for this team. We all know The Joker will post monster stats, but if they can get more consistency from guys like Morris and Gordon, this team could be in for a deep run.

These teams played two tight games last season, with Memphis sweeping the season series.