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Nuggets at Jazz Preview

Associated Press

Resurgent defensive play has been the difference for the Utah Jazz of late, as they've won back-to-back games since last week's sloppy performance against the Denver Nuggets.

The Jazz can exact some revenge Wednesday night as they try to salvage a four-game series split with the visiting Nuggets.

Utah (33-41) ranks as the NBA's stingiest team with 94.9 points allowed per game, and it's gone 29-7 when allowing 96 or fewer. The Jazz beat Oklahoma City 94-89 on Saturday and Minnesota 104-84 on Monday after allowing an average of 102.8 points during a four-game skid.

The last of those defeats was 107-91 at Denver on Friday as Utah surrendered its highest point total in 35 games. Gordon Hayward had 24 points and Rudy Gobert added 14 and 14 rebounds, but the Jazz couldn't keep up as the Nuggets shot 51.3 percent - including 13 of 24 from 3-point range.

"They cause a lot of problems and they have a lot of guys who can shoot, so they're a dangerous team," Hayward said.
Utah also lost this season's first meeting 103-101 at home Dec. 1 with a 104-82 road victory sandwiched in between. Hayward has averaged 23.4 points in his last five games against the Nuggets, 6-3 in the last nine meetings.

Hayward led the way with 22 points against the Timberwolves while Gobert and Trevor Booker combined for 32 and 25 boards. The Jazz held a 47-34 edge on the glass and outscored Minnesota 22-11 in transition.

"We found a little bit of a rhythm. I think, again, when you get some stuff off your defense and get some easy baskets, the game just gets easier," coach Quin Snyder said.

The Nuggets (28-46) are looking to bounce back from their fifth loss in seven games, 120-114 at Portland on Saturday. Jameer Nelson delivered another strong performance with 22 points off the bench as Denver mostly kept it close down the stretch.

"Our guys played terrific. We got better. I hated walking into the locker room and telling those guys, obviously it's a loss, but they played extremely hard," interim coach Melvin Hunt said.

Nelson has averaged 17.4 points while shooting 52.3 percent - including 24 of 47 from beyond the arc - over the last eight games. He scored 18 while making 4 of 5 of his 3s against Utah on Friday.

Jazz forward Derrick Favors has missed the last two games after his back locked up Friday. Favors, who scored seven points while shooting 2 of 9, had averaged 18.6 points and 61.7 percent from the field over his previous five games in the series.

"Backs are tricky things," Snyder said. "You always wonder if there's going to be something that makes it worse or aggravates it."

Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari sat out against the Trail Blazers with a shoulder injury, but he could be back Wednesday.

Denver claimed guard Ian Clark off waivers Saturday, two days after the Jazz released him. Clark averaged 1.9 points in 23 games with Utah.

The Nuggets are 8-7 since Hunt replaced Brian Shaw.