Winners and Losers From Nuggets' Upset Loss to Grizzlies

Christian Braun has had his fair share of ups and downs this season, but on Wednesday night, he proved why the Nuggets handed him a massive $125 million contract extension.

In a losing effort, Braun finished with 26 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and four steals on 11-19 shooting from the field. This marked a new season-high in scoring for Braun, while he impacted the game all over the court.

Of course, the Nuggets need Braun to perform like this more consistently, but this was a great showing as Denver inches closer to the playoffs.

Loser: Nikola Jokic's MVP chances

Jokic was already falling severely behind in the NBA MVP race, and Wednesday's loss certainly did not help his case.

Not only was this a really bad loss for the Nuggets, but Jokic also committed ten turnovers in a game for just the fourth time in his career. Jokic finished with 29 points, 14 rebounds, nine assists, ten turnovers, and three blocks, shooting 11-19 from the field. Jokic was just one assist shy of a quadruple-double, and not the good kind.

It is no secret that Jokic's efficiency has taken a dip over the last month or so, and his turnovers have also been a problem. While Jokic's MVP chances might be down the drain, the Nuggets at least need him to find his rhythm in time for the postseason.

Winner: Cam Johnson

Johnson has had a similar rollercoaster season to Braun's, but he has proven himself as of late. On Wednesday, Johnson finished with 20 points, six rebounds, and three assists, shooting 7-13 from the field and an efficient 5-6 from three-point range.

In the third quarter, Johnson willed the Nuggets back into the game, dropping 13 points on 3-3 shooting from deep in ten minutes. However, he would go on to attempt zero shots in the fourth quarter. Johnson still needs to find some consistency to finish the season, but his last five games suggest he has found his footing.

In his last five games, he is averaging 17.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists, while shooting 60.8% from the field and 61.5% from three-point range.

Loser: Nuggets believers

In Denver's defense, this was an unfavorable setting for them. Not only were they on the second leg of a back-to-back, but they had to travel from Denver to Memphis with no rest. Not to mention, Peyton Watson and Aaron Gordon were sidelined.

Regardless, this was an inexcusable loss. Whenever the Nuggets seem to be trending in the right direction, they take a step backwards.

The Nuggets now sit in sixth place in the West with a 42-28 record, and while there are still plenty of people out there who believe in their chances to win a title, they are doing all they can to make people lose hope.

With just 12 games left in the regular season, the Nuggets need to find some rhythm and consistency before it is too late.