What We Learned From Nuggets' Blowout Win vs. Jazz

When an NBA team starts the game on a 19-0 run, it is usually an indication that this will be a long night for the other team. On Monday night, the Denver Nuggets climbed to a 19-0 lead over the Utah Jazz, holding the Western Conference opponent scoreless for the first 4:54 of the game.

After a dominant first quarter, it was smooth sailing for the Nuggets, who practically went into cruise control for the rest of the game, ultimately winning 135-112 on their home court.

The Nuggets led the Jazz 40-15 after the first period, but Utah outscored Denver by two points for the rest of the game. Sure, they might have let up, but there is no reason to turn that into a negative after a dominant 23-point win.

What we learned from the Nuggets' blowout win

GREAT MONDAY NIGHT IN THE MILE HIGH#MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/9C5LuV8PU3
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) December 23, 2025

In Monday's win, the Nuggets were led by Jamal Murray with 27 points, six rebounds, and five assists on 6-12 shooting from deep, but overall, it was a team effort.

It is hard to blow a team out of the water around an individual performance, as the Nuggets got some help from practically everyone on the roster en route to a huge win. Nikola Jokic notched another triple-double with 14 points, 13 rebounds, and 13 assists on just 5-7 shooting, while Cam Johnson, Peyton Watson, and Tim Hardaway Jr. each scored 20+ points.

Jonas Valanciunas also came up big off the bench, contributing 12 points and 11 rebounds in just 16 minutes of action, while Bruce Brown dropped 15 points on 7-9 shooting in the second unit as well.

If there is one main takeaway from Monday's dominant victory, it is that the Nuggets thrive when everyone is clicking. Sure, it is cool when Jokic drops a 40-point triple-double, but the Nuggets are undoubtedly at their best when they can have four players score 20+ points in a single game, and none of them is the three-time MVP.

On top of that, the Nuggets assisted 37 of their 48 made field goals against the Jazz, showcasing exactly what David Adelman and the rest of the team have loved about their offense all season long.

After improving to 21-7 on the season, the Nuggets will move on to face the Dallas Mavericks for the second leg of a back-to-back on Tuesday night.

What we learned from the Nuggets' blowout win

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