SALT LAKE CITY — On a remarkable night, Russell Westbrook etched his name into the NBA record books by becoming the second player ever to achieve a triple-double without any turnovers, while shooting perfectly from both the field and the free-throw line during the Denver Nuggets’ victory over the Utah Jazz, with a final score of 132-121.
Westbrook concluded the game with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, excelling with a shooting performance of 7 for 7 from the field and hitting both of his free-throw attempts. He now shares this historic feat with Domantas Sabonis.
In a noteworthy offensive display, Nikola Jokic also recorded a triple-double, scoring 36 points, grabbing 22 rebounds, and providing 11 assists. Jamal Murray contributed significantly as well, finishing the night with 20 points and 10 assists. The Jazz saw solid performances from Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton, who scored 24 and 22 points respectively.
The Jazz held a narrow advantage at halftime, leading 66-64, but the Nuggets surged ahead in the third quarter, scoring 34 points to Utah’s 23, allowing them to establish a comfortable lead. It’s worth noting that both teams were without key starting forwards; Aaron Gordon for Denver missed the game due to a right calf strain, while Utah was without John Collins, who sat out his fourth consecutive game because of a hip injury.
In terms of strategic takeaways, the Nuggets faced difficulties during Jokic’s time on the bench. However, upon his return in the fourth quarter, he immediately connected on a three-pointer and assisted Westbrook for a dunk, marking his 10th assist. For the Jazz, they employed a lineup featuring four rookies—Kyle Filipowski, Isaiah Collier, Brice Sensabaugh, and Cody Williams—alongside Clarkson for a crucial stretch in the fourth quarter, where they managed to cut the Nuggets’ lead down to just two points (109-107) following a three-point play from Filipowski with 7:28 remaining.
One pivotal moment came when Westbrook intercepted a pass from Sexton and proceeded to dunk, pushing Denver’s advantage to 126-114 with only 2:46 left in the game.
A notable statistic from the game was the Jazz’s struggles with turnovers; they committed 13 turnovers in the second half alone, which allowed the Nuggets to capitalize with 14 points. Comparatively, Utah had a significantly lower turnover count of just three in the first half.
Looking ahead, the Jazz will travel to New York for their next game, while the Nuggets will host the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.
