Jazz Get Cold, Fall to Nuggets, 117-101, in Rematch
The Utah Jazz fell to the Denver Nuggets on Friday night, 117-101. Denver came out on top in this early-season rematch after Utah won the first game by 21 points.
Live by the three-pointer, die by it. The Jazz learned that lesson hard in Denver.
For a time, Utah worked to get back into the game in the second quarter, after falling behind by double-digits, by working the paint. But the Nuggets would not relent, keeping their foot on the gas all night.
Utah finished 10-of-39 (25.6%) from three-point land, while the red-hot Nuggets shot 45.9%, sinking a whopping 17 threes. Bones Hyland led the way with seven of those three-pointers. He finished with a game-high 26 points.
Michael Porter Jr. led all other scorers with 22 points, and if there was any moral victory for the Jazz, it was that Nikola Jokic was held to just 12 points on 25-plus minutes. But then again, Jokic wasn't needed as much because the Nuggets were so hot from the field, shooting 45.9%.
Utah's leading scorer was again Lauri Markkanen with 17 points, leading the team with nearly 26 minutes. The Jazz once again struggled to avoid foul trouble, with Kelly Olynyk and Jordan Clarkson taking themselves out of the game early.
Speaking of Clarkson, if the Nuggets were red-hot, he was ice-cold, shooting 1-for-10 from the field and 0-for-7 from three-point land. It was a back-to-the-drawing-board type of performance by the Jazz.
Perhaps a bit of a wake-up call. This team has to have a better offensive plan when the shots aren't dropping from the field.
The Jazz fall to 4-2 on the season — the same record the Nuggets now have.
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