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Red-hot Grizzlies go for ninth straight win vs. Nuggets

Nov 19, 2012 - 3:44 PM (Sports Network) - There isn't much that the Memphis Grizzlies haven't already accomplished over this young NBA season.

Victories over both the defending NBA champs and reigning Western Conference winners? Besting the lone undefeated team left in the league?

Check, check and check.

The Grizzlies still have one other goal in mind on Monday night as they attempt to win a franchise-record ninth game in a row in a meeting with the struggling Denver Nuggets.

Memphis hasn't lost since its opener at the Los Angeles Clippers on Oct. 31 and owns the best record in the league at 8-1. The Grizzlies are proving not to be just paper champions either.

Over their last four games, the Grizzlies have beaten the defending-champion Miami Heat and followed that up three days later with a triumph against the Oklahoma City Thunder, who the Heat bested in last season's finals.

On Friday, the Grizzlies handed the New York Knicks their first loss of the campaign and then avoided a letdown the following night by notching a 94-87 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats.

Zach Randolph had 18 points and 12 rebounds, giving him nine double-doubles in as many games this season, while Mike Conley led the way with a game-high 20 points. Rudy Gay donated 16 points and three steals as Memphis matched its club-record win streak set from Jan. 11-25, 2004.

"I think these last two games have really distinguished what kind of personality this team has right now -- how we treat this game and how we respect the game," Conley told NBA.com. "Guys got their rest and were prepared to go for tonight's game. That can be tough on a lot of teams out there and I think we handled it well. We're really playing together as a team."

Memphis now begins a five-game homestand and hopes to make it four victories in a row over Denver after winning all three meetings a season ago. The Grizzlies have also won each of their past three at home versus the Nuggets, who dropped their third game in a row overall with a 126-100 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.

Danilo Gallinari led Denver with 15 points and Kenneth Faried scored 14 for a Nuggets club that hasn't won since a double-overtime victory against the Golden State Warriors on Nov. 10.

Denver allowed San Antonio to break the game open early with a 25-4 run during the first and second quarter and the Spurs hit 16 3-pointers, the most the Nuggets have allowed to an opponent this season.

"I think San Antonio would've beat any team tonight by the way they played with their ball movement and shooting," said Nuggets coach George Karl. "We were playing in recovery all night long and they got great looks."

Last season marked the first time in five campaigns that the Nuggets did not win the season series versus the Grizzlies.