Nikola Jokic delivered an impressive performance with 27 points and 14 rebounds before sitting out the fourth quarter, as the Denver Nuggets bested the Utah Jazz with a commanding 129-93 victory on Friday night. The win strengthened Denver’s position in the battle for the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.
This victory puts the Nuggets two games ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies. Denver is closely tailing Houston, trailing by only 1.5 games for the second seed.
Jokic made an early impact, grabbing 11 rebounds in the first quarter alone, which nearly equaled his season average of 12.8. Michael Porter Jr. contributed 20 points, and Christian Braun added 16 to the total. Notably absent from the game was Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray. On the Jazz side, leading scorers Lauri Markkanen and John Collins were also out.
Collin Sexton took the lead for Utah with 20 points, while Kyle Filipowski added 18 points and 13 rebounds. Denver wrapped up the third quarter with an impressive 11-2 streak and further dominated Utah 25-8 early in the fourth quarter.
Takeaways:
Jazz coach Will Hardy voiced his disappointment after a weak second half against Memphis on Monday, but Utah showed resilience against Houston on Thursday and remained competitive against Denver until faltering in the fourth quarter.
Nuggets coach Michael Malone, dealing with Murray’s absence due to a tight right hamstring, chose to field a larger starting lineup, bringing Russell Westbrook off the bench. Peyton Watson and Braun took the starting roles in the backcourt.
Key Moment:
Jokic once again showed his clutch shooting prowess with a buzzer-beater from beyond the 3-point line at halftime, reminiscent of his near full-court shot against Sacramento on January 23.
Key Stat:
Peyton Watson’s four field goals were all dunks, three of which occurred within 1:06 during the third quarter, helping the Nuggets establish a 15-point advantage.
Up Next:
The Utah Jazz continue their five-game road trip with a stop at Charlotte on Monday night. Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets will host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night.