109 — 97
A first-quarter swing that changed the night
Denver had the sharper opening. Aaron Gordon scored early around the rim, Cameron Johnson hit a pair of first-quarter threes, and the Nuggets moved in front 15-11 midway through the period.
That edge did not last. Utah answered with a decisive burst: Ace Bailey scored twice, Keyonte George pulled the Jazz level, and Markkanen then stretched the floor with back-to-back threes. What had been a tight start turned quickly into Utah control, and the Jazz closed the quarter up 36-26.
That sequence captured the tone of the night. Utah did not need one dominant scorer to take over. Markkanen finished with 17 points in 16 minutes, George added 15 points and three assists, and Bailey supplied 10 points and five rebounds. Svi Mykhailiuk helped widen the margin with two late first-quarter threes, while Jaren Jackson Jr. added 11 points and four rebounds in 16 minutes.
Utah’s answers arrived almost every time Denver pushed
Denver had chances to reset the game in the second quarter. Tyus Jones knocked down a three to bring the Nuggets within four, and later Christian Braun’s dunk pulled them to 41-39. Each time, Utah found a clean response. Isaiah Collier hit a three almost immediately after Jones connected, Mykhailiuk answered Braun with another triple, and Markkanen and Jusuf Nurkic followed with finishes inside.
By halftime, Utah had rebuilt the cushion to 63-52. The Jazz were not especially hot overall at 41.9 per cent from the field, but they created enough extra value in other areas to stay in command. They won the glass 54-46, grabbed 14 offensive rebounds and went 16-for-19 at the foul line. Denver, by contrast, left points behind at 14-for-21 on free throws and 11-for-39 from three-point range.
The Nuggets still produced useful offence in stretches. Gordon scored 12 points in 11 minutes, Jones handed out six assists, and Nikola Jokic managed seven assists in only 14 minutes even though he took just one field-goal attempt. Denver also recorded eight blocks and scored 40 points in the paint. What it could not do was string together enough stops and efficient possessions to erase the first-quarter damage.
Our take: the Jazz had more ways to win this one
The third quarter offered Denver its best route back. Cam Whitmore hit from deep, Julian Strawther scored repeatedly during a lively stretch, and Trevon Brazile’s three cut the margin to four at 80-76. Strawther finished with a team-high 14 points in 20 minutes and was central to that push.
Utah’s response was the difference between a competitive finish and a genuine comeback. Collier converted a late three-point play, Blake Hinson drilled a three, and Mo Bamba finished at the rim to push the lead back to double digits before the fourth. Hinson then opened the final period with another three and later buried a 28-footer that restored Utah’s game-high 18-point lead at 98-80.
That is the encouraging part of this result for Utah: the pressure did not fall on one player. Thirteen Jazz players scored, and the bench kept extending possessions rather than merely surviving them. Hinson scored 14 points on 4-of-5 shooting from three, Collier added nine points and four assists, and Bamba contributed seven rebounds in 12 minutes. For Denver, the path to a better outcome is more straightforward and fully supported by the numbers. The Nuggets matched Utah closely in assists and turnovers, but weaker three-point shooting, a poorer night at the foul line and a rebound deficit made the margin hard to overcome. Late baskets from Ryan Nembhard, Emanuel Miller and Lonnie Walker IV trimmed the final score to 109-97, yet Utah had already done the more important work much earlier in the evening.
Scoring moments
- 1st Quarter · 11:54
Jusuf Nurkic makes free throw 1 of 2
- 1st Quarter · 11:54
Jusuf Nurkic makes free throw 2 of 2
- 1st Quarter · 11:04
Aaron Gordon makes 2-foot reverse dunk (Nikola Jokic assists)
- 1st Quarter · 11:04
Aaron Gordon makes free throw 1 of 1
- 1st Quarter · 10:18
Christian Braun makes running layup (Nikola Jokic assists)
- 1st Quarter · 10:04
Keyonte George makes driving layup (Jusuf Nurkic assists)
- 1st Quarter · 9:45
Aaron Gordon makes layup (Nikola Jokic assists)
- 1st Quarter · 8:34
Cameron Johnson makes 24-foot three point jumper (Tyus Jones assists)
- 1st Quarter · 8:02
Darryn Peterson makes 9-foot pullup jump shot
- 1st Quarter · 7:49
Christian Braun makes layup (Nikola Jokic assists)
- 1st Quarter · 7:31
Jaren Jackson Jr. makes 23-foot three point jumper (Darryn Peterson assists)
- 1st Quarter · 6:55
Keyonte George makes 14-foot pullup jump shot (Jaren Jackson Jr. assists)
- 1st Quarter · 6:38
Cameron Johnson makes 24-foot three point jumper (Nikola Jokic assists)
- 1st Quarter · 6:15
Ace Bailey makes 11-foot turnaround jump shot
- 1st Quarter · 6:00
Keyonte George makes 13-foot two point shot (Jusuf Nurkic assists)
- 1st Quarter · 5:36
Lauri Markkanen makes 24-foot three point jumper (Svi Mykhailiuk assists)
- 1st Quarter · 4:59
Ace Bailey makes 16-foot pullup jump shot (Jaxson Hayes assists)
- 1st Quarter · 4:31
Lauri Markkanen makes 26-foot three point jumper (Keyonte George assists)
- 1st Quarter · 4:11
Trevon Brazile makes dunk (Christian Braun assists)
- 1st Quarter · 3:50
Lauri Markkanen makes 15-foot turnaround jump shot
- 1st Quarter · 3:35
Marvin Bagley III makes 3-foot dunk
- 1st Quarter · 2:50
Julian Strawther makes free throw 1 of 2
- 1st Quarter · 2:30
Jaren Jackson Jr. makes free throw 1 of 2
- 1st Quarter · 2:06
Ace Bailey makes running layup (Svi Mykhailiuk assists)
- 1st Quarter · 1:47
DeMar DeRozan makes 15-foot turnaround jump shot (Tyus Jones assists)
- 1st Quarter · 1:28
Svi Mykhailiuk makes 23-foot three pointer (Jaren Jackson Jr. assists)
- 1st Quarter · 1:16
Julian Strawther makes 8-foot two point shot (Tyus Jones assists)
- 1st Quarter · 1:00
Jaren Jackson Jr. makes driving layup
- 1st Quarter · 32.6
Svi Mykhailiuk makes 24-foot three point jumper (Isaiah Collier assists)
- 1st Quarter · 26.0
Tyus Jones makes 5-foot two point shot
- 2nd Quarter · 10:19
DeMar DeRozan makes driving layup
- 2nd Quarter · 10:19
DeMar DeRozan makes free throw 1 of 1
- 2nd Quarter · 9:38
Tyus Jones makes 25-foot three point jumper (DeMar DeRozan assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 9:27
Isaiah Collier makes 24-foot three point jumper (Darryn Peterson assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 8:29
Marvin Bagley III makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 7:04
Zeke Nnaji makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 7:04
Zeke Nnaji makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 6:43
Keyonte George makes free throw 2 of 3
- 2nd Quarter · 6:43
Keyonte George makes free throw 3 of 3
- 2nd Quarter · 6:33
Aaron Gordon makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 6:33
Aaron Gordon makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 6:12
Christian Braun makes running dunk (Nikola Jokic assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 5:55
Keyonte George makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 5:55
Keyonte George makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 5:35
Svi Mykhailiuk makes 25-foot three pointer (Jusuf Nurkic assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 4:47
Aaron Gordon makes 1-foot dunk
- 2nd Quarter · 4:13
Lauri Markkanen makes 2-foot running dunk (Jusuf Nurkic assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 4:00
Lauri Markkanen makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 4:00
Lauri Markkanen makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 3:30
Jusuf Nurkic makes 1-foot layup (Keyonte George assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 3:12
Cameron Johnson makes 13-foot jumper (Tyus Jones assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 2:45
Aaron Gordon makes 23-foot three point jumper (Tyus Jones assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 2:02
Jaren Jackson Jr. makes 6-foot two point shot
- 2nd Quarter · 1:44
Tyus Jones makes 23-foot three point jumper (Nikola Jokic assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 1:26
Lauri Markkanen makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 1:26
Lauri Markkanen makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 57.5
Nikola Jokic makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 41.9
Jaren Jackson Jr. makes 4-foot two point shot (Isaiah Collier assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 41.9
Jaren Jackson Jr. makes free throw 1 of 1
- 2nd Quarter · 29.2
Lauri Markkanen makes 23-foot three point jumper (Isaiah Collier assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 11.0
Nikola Jokic makes 14-foot jumper (Tyus Jones assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 1.2
Darryn Peterson makes free throw 2 of 2
- 3rd Quarter · 11:17
Marvin Bagley III makes 1-foot driving dunk (Ryan Nembhard assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 10:02
Keyonte George makes 24-foot three point step back jumpshot
- 3rd Quarter · 9:43
Cam Whitmore makes 25-foot three pointer
- 3rd Quarter · 8:50
Trevon Brazile makes running dunk (Ryan Nembhard assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 8:10
Keyonte George makes dunk (Jaxson Hayes assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 7:52
Cam Whitmore makes 26-foot three pointer
- 3rd Quarter · 7:37
Josh Okogie makes 23-foot three point jumper (Keyonte George assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 7:10
Julian Strawther makes 21-foot fade away jump shot (Ryan Nembhard assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 6:36
Jaxson Hayes makes layup (Josh Okogie assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 5:55
Isaiah Collier makes 24-foot three point jumper (Jaxson Hayes assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 5:40
Julian Strawther makes driving layup (Cam Whitmore assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 4:49
Julian Strawther makes 2-foot two point shot (Zeke Nnaji assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 4:42
Ace Bailey makes layup (Svi Mykhailiuk assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 4:23
Julian Strawther makes tip shot
- 3rd Quarter · 4:08
Julian Strawther makes 23-foot three point jumper (Alpha Diallo assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 3:43
Ace Bailey makes 2-foot driving dunk (Jaxson Hayes assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 3:26
Trevon Brazile makes 24-foot three point jumper (Julian Strawther assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 2:47
Isaiah Collier makes layup
- 3rd Quarter · 2:47
Isaiah Collier makes free throw 1 of 1
- 3rd Quarter · 1:51
Blake Hinson makes 24-foot three point jumper (Tamar Bates assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 1:06
Mo Bamba makes 1-foot alley oop dunk (Isaiah Collier assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 48.2
Zeke Nnaji makes free throw 1 of 2
- 4th Quarter · 11:17
Bryce Hopkins makes free throw 2 of 2
- 4th Quarter · 11:01
Blake Hinson makes 28-foot three point jumper (Mo Bamba assists)
- 4th Quarter · 10:46
Ryan Nembhard makes 16-foot pullup jump shot (DaRon Holmes II assists)
- 4th Quarter · 9:49
Harrison Ingram makes 2-foot layup (Mo Bamba assists)
- 4th Quarter · 8:25
Mo Bamba makes free throw 1 of 2
- 4th Quarter · 8:25
Mo Bamba makes free throw 2 of 2
- 4th Quarter · 7:43
Blake Hinson makes 25-foot three point step back jumpshot
- 4th Quarter · 7:11
DaRon Holmes II makes running layup (Lonnie Walker IV assists)
- 4th Quarter · 6:22
Mo Bamba makes tip shot
- 4th Quarter · 5:40
DaRon Holmes II makes running dunk (Ryan Nembhard assists)
- 4th Quarter · 5:04
Blake Hinson makes 22-foot step back jumpshot
- 4th Quarter · 4:41
Alpha Diallo makes free throw 1 of 2
- 4th Quarter · 4:41
Alpha Diallo makes free throw 2 of 2
- 4th Quarter · 4:20
Ryan Nembhard makes 26-foot running jump shot (Alpha Diallo assists)
- 4th Quarter · 2:51
Harrison Ingram makes 10-foot two point shot
- 4th Quarter · 2:16
Blake Hinson makes 23-foot three point jumper (Trey Alexander assists)
- 4th Quarter · 2:05
Emanuel Miller makes two point shot (Lonnie Walker IV assists)
- 4th Quarter · 2:05
Emanuel Miller makes free throw 1 of 1
- 4th Quarter · 1:32
Lonnie Walker IV makes 26-foot three point step back jumpshot
- 4th Quarter · 55.4
Harrison Ingram makes 3-foot reverse layup (Trey Alexander assists)
- 4th Quarter · 0.2
Emanuel Miller makes tip shot
Utah Jazz — Players
| Player | MIN | PTS | FG | 3PT | FT | REB | AST | TO | STL | BLK | OREB | DREB | PF | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lauri Markkanen | 14 | 17 | 5-12 | 3-7 | 4-4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | +11 |
| Jaren Jackson Jr. | 18 | 11 | 4-7 | 1-3 | 2-3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | +4 |
| Jusuf Nurkic | 11 | 4 | 1-5 | 0-2 | 2-2 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 |
| Keyonte George | 21 | 15 | 5-8 | 1-3 | 4-5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | +6 |
| Darryn Peterson | 19 | 3 | 1-5 | 0-2 | 1-2 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | -2 |
| Blake Hinson | 17 | 14 | 5-8 | 4-5 | 0-0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | +4 |
| Harrison Ingram | 12 | 6 | 3-7 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | +1 |
| Mo Bamba | 12 | 6 | 2-4 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | +6 |
| Jaxson Hayes | 19 | 2 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | -1 |
| Jonas Aidoo | 3 | 0 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | -1 |
| Svi Mykhailiuk | 17 | 9 | 3-9 | 3-8 | 0-0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +11 |
| Josh Okogie | 14 | 3 | 1-3 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -4 |
| Trey Alexander | 12 | 0 | 0-5 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 |
| Isaiah Collier | 15 | 9 | 3-4 | 2-3 | 1-1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +5 |
| Tamar Bates | 15 | 0 | 0-3 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | +5 |
| Ace Bailey | 20 | 10 | 5-10 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | +11 |
Denver Nuggets — Players
| Player | MIN | PTS | FG | 3PT | FT | REB | AST | TO | STL | BLK | OREB | DREB | PF | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Gordon | 10 | 12 | 4-8 | 1-3 | 3-3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | -5 |
| Cameron Johnson | 15 | 8 | 3-7 | 2-6 | 0-0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | -7 |
| Nikola Jokic | 15 | 3 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | -13 |
| Tyus Jones | 19 | 8 | 3-6 | 2-3 | 0-0 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | -6 |
| Christian Braun | 15 | 6 | 3-5 | 0-2 | 0-2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | -13 |
| Alpha Diallo | 13 | 2 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | -1 |
| Marvin Bagley III | 14 | 5 | 2-7 | 0-1 | 1-2 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | +4 |
| Zeke Nnaji | 15 | 3 | 0-4 | 0-2 | 3-4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 |
| Emanuel Miller | 3 | 5 | 2-3 | 0-1 | 1-1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +1 |
| Coleman Hawkins | 3 | 0 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +1 |
| DaRon Holmes II | 12 | 4 | 2-6 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -6 |
| Bryce Hopkins | 12 | 1 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | -10 |
| Trevon Brazile | 20 | 7 | 3-4 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -1 |
| Cam Whitmore | 15 | 6 | 2-7 | 2-3 | 0-0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -3 |
| DeMar DeRozan | 10 | 5 | 2-5 | 0-1 | 1-1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -8 |
| Lonnie Walker IV | 9 | 3 | 1-4 | 1-4 | 0-0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +1 |
| Dane Goodwin | 3 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 |
| Julian Strawther | 20 | 14 | 6-13 | 1-6 | 1-2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | +3 |
| Ryan Nembhard | 17 | 5 | 2-4 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | +3 |
Utah Jazz — Team statistics
| FG | 39-93 |
|---|---|
| Field Goal % | 42 |
| 3PT | 15-45 |
| Three Point % | 33 |
| FT | 16-20 |
| Free Throw % | 80 |
| Rebounds | 54 |
| Offensive Rebounds | 14 |
| Defensive Rebounds | 40 |
| Assists | 28 |
| Steals | 4 |
| Blocks | 5 |
| Turnovers | 10 |
| Team Turnovers | 1 |
| Total Turnovers | 11 |
| Technical Fouls | 0 |
| Total Technical Fouls | 0 |
| Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
| Points Conceded Off Turnovers | 15 |
| Fast Break Points | 8 |
| Points in Paint | 34 |
| Fouls | 25 |
| Largest Lead | 18 |
| Lead Changes | 2 |
| Percent Led | 88 |
Denver Nuggets — Team statistics
| FG | 36-89 |
|---|---|
| Field Goal % | 40 |
| 3PT | 11-39 |
| Three Point % | 28 |
| FT | 14-21 |
| Free Throw % | 67 |
| Rebounds | 47 |
| Offensive Rebounds | 12 |
| Defensive Rebounds | 35 |
| Assists | 27 |
| Steals | 4 |
| Blocks | 8 |
| Turnovers | 11 |
| Team Turnovers | 0 |
| Total Turnovers | 11 |
| Technical Fouls | 0 |
| Total Technical Fouls | 0 |
| Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
| Points Conceded Off Turnovers | 15 |
| Fast Break Points | 14 |
| Points in Paint | 40 |
| Fouls | 23 |
| Largest Lead | 6 |
| Lead Changes | 2 |
| Percent Led | 11 |