DENVER — Marc Gasol scored 24 points, Mike Conley had 18 and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the short-handed Denver Nuggets 119-99 on Wednesday night.

Memphis led for most of the game and won its third in a row.

Emmanuel Mudiay had 14 points, seven assists and six rebounds in his return to the Nuggets’ lineup. Denver came into the game without Nikola Jokic (left hip flexor strain) and Will Barton (left ankle soreness), and then lost two more players before the night ended.

Point guard Jameer Nelson was ejected just 4:07 into the game, leaving the Nuggets with three guards, and leading scorer Danilo Gallinari exited late in the third quarter with a left groin strain.

The Grizzlies took advantage of a tired Nuggets team that lost on the road to the Lakers on Tuesday. They led by 16 in the first half and increased it to 19 in the third when Gasol had 10 points.

Memphis stretched the lead to 25 midway through the fourth quarter.

Tip-ins

Nuggets: Barton had an MRI done on his injured left ankle, but the results weren’t announced. He missed 11 games in two different stretches earlier this season with a left ankle injury.