Jazz-Nuggets Preview

By TAYLOR BECHTOLD
Posted Nov 08 2012 7:10PM

After limiting his minutes early on, coach George Karl and the Denver Nuggets are reaping the benefits from letting the "Manimal" loose.

Kenneth Faried, who earned that nickname because of his physical and aggressive play, should be in for a tough interior battle Friday night when the Nuggets host a Utah Jazz team featuring two of the top eight rebounders in the Western Conference.

Faried played less than 20 minutes in each of the first two games before receiving a boost in playing time Saturday. In his three contests since, the second-year forward has averaged 17.7 points, 12.0 rebounds and shot 64.1 percent in more than 31 minutes per game.

Faried will try to keep that strong play going against Utah's formidable frontcourt. Al Jefferson is tied for sixth in the conference with 10.0 rebounds per game, while Paul Millsap is tied with Faried for eighth at 9.6.

Jefferson posted his third double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds as the Jazz (2-3) snapped a three-game skid with a 95-86 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.

"He's really putting forth an effort to help us on the defensive end and doing a nice job of waiting for his offense to come," coach Tyrone Corbin said. "We're going to need him to continue that."

The Nuggets (2-3) would like to see the same from Faried after he helped them to a second straight win Wednesday, 93-87 at Houston.

Faried, who holds the NCAA record for career rebounds with 1,673, had 16 points and 16 boards against the Rockets. With the 6-foot-8 Faried leading the way, the Nuggets rank third in the NBA with 49.4 rebounds per game.

"I think it has a lot to do with what we do in practice," Faried said. "Extra possessions are really important in this league."

Point guard Ty Lawson, who leads Denver with 15.6 points per game, scored 21 and added eight assists Wednesday.

Wilson Chandler, who has appeared in three games, isn't expected to play Friday as he continues to work his way back from hip surgery. The Nuggets could use Chandler's long-range scoring ability, as they've made just 29.2 percent of their 3-point attempts.

The Jazz are allowing opponents to make 37.2 percent of their 3s, but they're coming off their best defensive effort of the young season. Utah held Los Angeles to 33.8 percent shooting - the Lakers' worst effort in a regular-season game since Feb. 27, 2009 - and 4 for 23 from long distance.

"We were aggressive," Corbin said. "I thought for the most part we made them work for everything they got."

Point guard Mo Williams, the team's leading scorer at 19.8 points per game, finished with 16 and seven assists. Randy Foye scored 17 off the bench while making five 3-pointers.

Utah has won two of three in Denver after losing seven of eight visits, including the playoffs.

"We have to continue to work hard and try to put a couple of wins together," Jefferson said. "Denver's a great team at home."

Brewer scores 20 to lead Nuggets past Jazz 104-84

By DENNIS GEORGATOS
Posted Nov 10 2012 2:35AM

DENVER (AP) A blown dunk aside, Kenneth Faried's shooting touch has been spot-on of late.

Faried had 18 points to go with 11 rebounds, helping the Denver Nuggets beat the Utah Jazz 104-84 on Friday night for their third win in a row after an 0-3 start.

"His energy is contagious," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "It is a big part of why we're successful and it is going to have to be a big part of what we do this year."

Faried's exuberance got the better of him midway through the second quarter when he missed a wide-open dunk as his attempt at a stylish, windmill jam bounced off the back rim. But he shook off the gaffe to record his fourth consecutive game with 15 or more points, the longest such stretch of his career.

"I did miss that dunk and I knew it. I was kind of disappointed in myself but I just kept playing hard," Faried said. "A lot of people don't believe I can step out and hit the little 15- or 12-foot jumper, and my teammates do, so they get me in that position. I just jump up and shoot it."

Faried had plenty of help on the offensive end from Corey Brewer, who scored 13 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, hitting four 3-pointers. Kosta Koufos and Andre Iguodala added 15 points apiece.

"He made it a game we could rest our guys for tomorrow," Karl said of Brewer, referring to the Nuggets' upcoming game at Golden State on Saturday. "Come the fourth quarter (Saturday), that could be important."

Gordon Hayward had 15 points to lead the Jazz, who remained winless in four road games this season. Randy Foye and Enes Kanter each added 13 points for Utah, which made only four of 23 attempts from 3-point range.

"It wasn't our best outing," Hayward said. "We've got to figure out this road thing. This was a tough one for us. I think we've got to put it behind us."

Summing up his team's play, Utah coach Tyrone Corbin described it as "a very disappointing effort. We just didn't execute."

Corbin added after the game that guard Mo Williams strained his right abductor muscle during the third quarter. His status for Saturday's game against Phoenix was uncertain.

Iguodala connected on a 3-pointer to give the Nuggets a 69-49 lead with 5:14 remaining in the third quarter. But the Jazz scored eight of the next 12 points, including a three-point play by Hayward to pull to 73-57 going into the fourth.

After Foye hit a 3 to get the Jazz within 75-63, Brewer hit two 3-pointers around a layup by Alec Burks, adding a free throw following the second long-distance shot to put the Nuggets up 82-65 with 9:14 remaining.

The Jazz whittled the Nuggets' lead to 90-78 when Denver was called for goaltending on Jamaal Tinsley's layup with 4:22 remaining, only to see the Nuggets make it 96-78 after Brewer drained 3-pointers on consecutive possessions.

The Nuggets took a 53-38 lead at halftime, closing the last 7 minutes of the second quarter with a 17-2 run.

After Derrick Favors made a pair of free throws to pull Utah into a 36-all tie, Brewer drove the lane to hit a twisting layup, starting the Nuggets' second-quarter surge.

The only points in that stretch by the Jazz, who missed all nine of their 3-point tries in the first half, came on a pair of free throws by Foye with 3:30 remaining in the second. That was not nearly enough to offset a closing flourish by the Nuggets.

Ty Lawson scored on successive fast-break layups before Iguodala slammed home a dunk off an alley-oop pass from Danilo Gallinari in the waning moments of the quarter.

NOTES: The Nuggets' Wilson Chandler, who is being eased back from offseason hip surgery, sat out for the third time in the past four games. ... Timofey Mozgov made his season debut for the Nuggets after missing the first five games with a left knee strain. ... Burks, who starred at Colorado before joining the Jazz a year ago as a first-round draft pick, was greeted with a round of applause when he entered in the second quarter. ... Favors finished with five blocks.

Notebook: Nuggets 104, Jazz 84

Michael Kelly, for NBA.com
Posted Sat Nov 10, 2012 2:36 AM - Updated Sat Nov 10, 2012 2:36 AM

THE FACTS: Corey Brewer came off the bench to score a game-high 20 points, Kenneth Faried had 18 points and 10 rebounds and the Denver Nuggets used a strong second quarter to take control and beat the Utah Jazz 104-84 on Friday night.

Andre Iguodala and Kosta Koufos had 15 points each for the Nuggets, who have won three straight. Koufos also had 10 rebounds and three blocks.

Gordon Hayward led the Jazz with 15 points and Randy Foye and Enes Kanter had 13 each off the bench.

QUOTABLE: "The second quarter's probably the best defensive quarter we've played in a long time. Defensively, we might have had a couple of moments where we didn't make the right defensive play. But our keys were Mo Williams and (Al) Jefferson and they both end up (a combined) 2-for-15. It wasn't a pretty game but it was a strongly, well-played game." -- Nuggets coach George Karl.

THE STAT: The Nuggets had struggled defending the 3-pointer in their first three games but shut down the Jazz from long range. Utah finished 4-for-23 from behind the arc, with Foye hitting three of those four.

TURNING POINT: The Nuggets built a 21-point lead in the third quarter then saw the Jazz trim it to 12 and grab some momentum. Brewer ended any comeback hopes with a 3-pointer in front of the Denver bench and then hit another from the opposite corner while being fouled. He hit the free throw to complete the four-point play and Denver was never threatened again.

QUOTABLE II: "You're going to have nights where you miss shots, especially on the road, but our defense slacked off. We didn't move our bodies and we didn't put pressure on the basket. We shot jump shots and they got in transition as a result." -- Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin.

HOT: Andre Miller isn't known for his leaping ability but he surprised Derrick Favor in the second quarter when he blocked his shot. Less than a minute later Miller blocked Hayward's shot.

NOT: The Jazz started 12-for-24 from the field in the first 15 minutes but made just 10 shots over the next 21. Hayward, Paul Millsap and Kanter were the only Utah players to hit at least 50 percent of their shots.

FANTASY SPOTLIGHT: Faried has been consistently filling the stat sheet. He had his second straight double-double and third in the last four games.

GOOD MOVE: Karl used his size to contend with Utah's frontcourt. Koufos started at center but JaVale McGee and Timofey Mozgov rotated in, and on a few occasions the Nuggets had two 7-footers on the court at the same time. Mozgov, playing his first game of the year, had four points, five rebounds and two blocks in 20 minutes.

BAD MOVE: Faried tried to play to the crowd when he went in uncontested on a fast break. His windmill dunk attempt bounced off the back rim and right to Jazz guard Jamaal Tinsley.

QUOTABLE III: "It was too wide open, I guess. I didn't know if I wanted to go up and regular dunk it, go between the legs or windmill dunk it. I missed it and I was disappointed in myself." -- Faried, on his dunk.

NOTABLE: Favors was a force in the minutes he got. He had 10 points and 11 rebounds to go along with the five blocks he had in 10 minutes in the first half.

UP NEXT: For the Jazz, Saturday vs. Phoenix, Monday @ Toronto, Wednesday @ Boston. For the Nuggets, Saturday @ Golden State, Tuesday @ Phoenix, Thursday vs. Miami.

• Jazz: Bell, Watson
• Nuggets: Miller, Stone

• Jazz: --
• Nuggets: --

• Lead Changes: 7
• Times Tied: 9

• Arena: Pepsi Center, Denver, CO
• Officials: #8 Marc Davis, #7 Kevin Fehr, #61 Courtney Kirkland
• Attendance: 15523
• Duration: 2:23