Denver Nuggets

Ryan Kostecka

With breakout player Keyonte George going down late in the second quarter, the Jazz knew others would have to make up for the absence of the Summer League’s second-leading scorer.&nbsp;

The good news for Utah, they were ready for it.&nbsp;

Keyed by big performances from multiple players, the Jazz had five in double figures as they held off Denver’s ferocious rally to pick up the 96-91 victory on Wednesday night. Utah improves to 3-0 with the win, while the Nuggets fall to 0-3.

Ochai Agbaji and Luka Samanic, the two players on the roster with the most NBA experience from last season, answered the call following George’s injury.&nbsp;

Agbaji, who played some great defense down the stretch, was also solid on offense as he finished with 14 points, seven rebounds, and two assists. Samanic was just as good, finishing with a near-identical stat line of 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals.&nbsp;

After struggling at the start of Monday’s game, the Jazz came out with more intention against the Nuggets as buckets by Samanic and Agbaji put Utah up 4-0 less than a minute in. However, Denver answered with six straight on back-to-back threes.

The Jazz then caught fire from deep as Samanic and Keshawn Justice knocked down a pair of threes, igniting an 11-2 Utah run. An Agbaji three put the Jazz up 11 late in the quarter before Colin Gillespie answered for the Nuggets, trimming Utah’s lead to single digits.&nbsp;

But the Jazz couldn’t be stopped as Johnny Juzang knocked down a pair of threes, and George added one of his own, ending the quarter on an 11-4 run.&nbsp;

After a Nuggets free throw started the quarter, Utah broke the game open. Beginning with a Micah Potter three, Utah reeled off a 12-0 run as they easily got to the rim, including a pretty-looking and-one by George.&nbsp;

Denver didn’t go away, finding its stroke from deep as back-to-back threes gave them life. Again, the Jazz answered as threes by Hauser, Justice, and Agbaji ran their lead to 26 with three minutes to go.&nbsp;

The Nuggets refused to go away, finding a rhythm late as a Julian Strawther three capped an 8-2 run to the half.&nbsp;

With George out to start the third, Utah’s lead quickly evaporated as the Nuggets were the more physical team in the early going. Seven straight points in the opening three minutes cut Utah’s lead to 13, prompting a timeout.&nbsp;

A Nick Ongenda 4-0 run had the Jazz up 16 midway through the third, but Denver kept coming. A 10-2 run had Utah’s lead down to eight with three minutes to go.&nbsp;

The Jazz slowed things down by getting stops on defense, while a bucket by Juzang and three by Hauser gave Utah the momentum heading to the fourth.&nbsp;

Denver looked like they would make a run when they cut the deficit to eight, but Utah had an answer. A floater by Colbey Ross and a three by Agbaji put the Jazz up by double digits just over two minutes into the fourth.&nbsp;

Again, the Nuggets refused to give in as a quick 5-0 run had the deficit down to 9-0 with just over three to go. However, the Jazz never panicked and kept executing their offense at a high level, pushing the lead back to 13 following a pair of Potter free throws to clinch the game with just over a minute to play.&nbsp;

Justice finished with 12 points, eight rebounds, and two assists, including 10 in the first half. Ross, starting in place of George to begin the third, added 11 points, three rebounds, and two assists, while Ongenda chipped in 11 points.&nbsp;

While the injury to George isn’t deemed severe, he did not return after turning his right ankle. He still put up another solid performance, finishing with six points, three rebounds, two assists, and an impressive +19 rating in just 10 minutes.&nbsp;

Utah will look to stay perfect when they face Phoenix (1-2) on Friday night. Tipoff is set for 9 p.m. MST.

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Despite George Going Down, Agbaji And Samanic Lead Utah To Victory Over Denver

Jeremy Rincon

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Highlights: Nuggets 91 | Jazz 96 (NBA Summer League)

On Oct. 19, the Jazz began the season with a bang when they upset the title-contending Nuggets on opening night. Forty home games later, the Jazz pulled off an even bigger upset.&nbsp;

Down six of their top seven scorers, leaving Kris Dunn — a post-All-Star break singing — as the lone guy averaging double digits, Utah gave Jazz Nation one last gritty and gutsy effort at home as they stunned the title-contending Nuggets 118-114 on Saturday afternoon.&nbsp;

“In a lot of ways, this game speaks for itself,” head coach Will Hardy said postgame. “So proud of our guys. … We were down a lot of people, but their approach didn’t change. The game means something to them, they’re trying to make a name for themselves. … We’re trying to make a name for our program and Utah.”

The growth of rookie wing Ochai Agbaji has been one of the primary storylines over the last month of the season, and Jazz Nation got an even better look at that growth on Saturday as he was sensational.

Taking over as a primary scorer against the Nuggets, he finished with a career-high 28 points, three assists, and three rebounds. He also had one of the best plays of the season, throwing down a vicious one-handed dunk in transition over Denver’s Aaron Gordon.&nbsp;

While the efficiency on the night wasn’t what he was hoping for, the fact that Agbaji took those shots after a tough performance two nights ago shows a level of confidence and maturity not often seen in a rookie.

The Jazz knew that if they were going to have a real shot at taking down a Nuggets squad playing with their regular starters and rotation, somebody would have a special night.&nbsp;

After signing a multi-year contract with the Jazz after completing his 10-day contract, Samanic showed why Utah’s front office is so high on him when he dropped a career-high 23 points against Denver. He also added eight rebounds and two steals, shooting 9-of-14 from the field and 3-for-6 from beyond the arc.

With Agbaji and Samanic taking care of the scoring aspect of things, Dunn made it all possible.&nbsp;

Another guy the Jazz signed to a multi-year deal after completing two 10-day contracts, Dunn dropped his first double-double in a Utah uniform when he finished with 19 points, 14 assists, and eight rebounds. Not only was that a season-high in assists from a Jazz man this season, but Dunn also came dangerously close to breaking Utah’s triple-double curse.&nbsp;

It’s been a while since Utah got off to a scorching start, but that was the case on Saturday afternoon.&nbsp;

Agbaji, taking over as one of the primary scorers late in the season, got off to a blistering start when he scored eight points in the first four minutes as Utah jumped out to a 14-2 lead on the Nuggets.&nbsp;

Instead of letting Denver respond, the Jazz kept the pressure up as a Simone Fontecchio three gave them a 17-point advantage late in the first. The Nuggets eventually answered, cutting the deficit to 11 with less than a minute to go before Johnny Juzang’s short jumper ignited the Vivint Arena crowd.&nbsp;

The second quarter began with runs by each team.&nbsp;

Threes by Micah Potter and Agabji capped a 6-0 run as the Jazz doubled up Denver, 38-19, less than two minutes in. Denver finally answered, going on an 11-0 run as Jamal Murray dropped seven points.&nbsp;

Another Potter three ended the run, but Denver wasn’t done. They cut the deficit to seven following a Reggie Jackson dunk midway through the second. However, Utah answered with a quick 8-2 run to push the lead back to double digits.&nbsp;

Denver woke up over the final few minutes, closing on a 17-5 run as they knocked down three threes during that span — but a Samanic bucket beat the buzzer.

Utah’s lead didn’t last long as Denver hit back-to-back threes on their first two possessions, but the Jazz answered with back-to-back buckets by Udoka Azubuike and Dunn to retake the one-point lead.&nbsp;

After a Jamal Murray bucket gave the Nuggets the lead, Utah rattled off a quick 8-0 run with Agbaji dropping a deep three at the eight-minute mark. The Jazz would later extend their lead to nine following a Samanic jumper midway through the quarter, but it was all Denver the rest of the way.&nbsp;

A Porter Jr. bucket kickstarted a 23-6 run as the Nuggets caught fire from deep, knocking down four from beyond the arc.

After Denver’s lead swelled to nine early in the fourth, the Jazz again showed why they’re considered one of the most resilient teams in the league.&nbsp;

A Potter bucket started a 9-2 run as Utah cut the deficit to two at the midway point of the quarter, forcing a Nuggets timeout and igniting the Vivint Arena crowd. The Jazz kept coming, taking a one-point lead with just under three to play following two free throws by Juan Toscano-Anderson.

Agbaji would then seal the deal for Utah, knocking down back-to-back jumpers to push the lead to five before hitting two free throws with 11 seconds left as Utah pulled out the win.&nbsp;

“Overall our defense was great,” Hardy said. “We wanted to try and make them play a different style, and our guys were into it. … Tons of guys stepped up tonight. I’m really proud of the guys. ... I can't stress how impressive it is when you’re told these games didn’t matter.”

“Now it feels a little more full circle. … You get the improbable win at the end of the year as well,” he added. 

Potter had his best game in a Jazz uniform, dropping his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. Fontecchio added 15 points, six rebounds, and four assists off the bench. Azubuike added eight points and 11 rebounds.&nbsp;

The Jazz close the season on Sunday with a matinee showdown against LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the Lakers. Tipoff is set for 1:30 p.m. MT on ESPN.

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"A Little More Full Circle" | Utah Upsets First-Place Denver Behind Career-Highs From Agbaji and Samanic

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Highlights: Nuggets 114 | Jazz 118

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Highlights: Ochai Agbaji – 28 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists

Considering the circumstances, Saturday night in Denver was arguably Utah’s most challenging game of the season.

The Jazz were down their three leading scorers (Lauri Markkanen, Jordan Clarkson, and Collin Sexton), their leading assist man (Mike Conley), and a player who just dropped 18 points and a game-winner a few nights ago (Simone Fontecchio). Add in the fact that Utah was playing the Nuggets (No. 4 in the West), and on the second game of a back-to-back, it’s easy to see why they entered Saturday at a “slight” disadvantage.

Instead of making excuses, all Utah did was battle the well-rested Nuggets for 48 minutes. Despite five players in double figures, fatigue took over in the end as the shorthanded Jazz fell 115-110 to Denver on Saturday night.

“I thought they (Jazz) played really hard. … Honestly, I thought they (Jazz) deserved to win the game,” Will Hardy said postgame. “Some unfortunate missed shots, some unfortunate moments down the stretch. That’s a really good team we just played, and I thought our team represented ourselves really well.”

After being elevated to the starting unit last game, Nickeil Alexander-Walker got the opportunity again against Denver and didn’t disappoint.&nbsp;

He finished with a season-high 27 points, shooting 9-of-16 from the floor and 5-for-10 from three-point territory. He added three rebounds and two assists.

His night was special because he ran Utah’s offense effectively, either attacking the rim to open things up for his teammates or making the extra pass to find the open shooter. His game continues to evolve under Hardy, a positive sign moving forward.&nbsp;

“I think Nickeil overall played a really good game,” Hardy said. “I love the way Nickeil approaches the game. … I think he competes on both ends really hard.”

With Clarkson and Conley out, Talen Horton-Tucker found himself in the starting lineup. It was an excellent opportunity for the guard as his minutes had dwindled over the past few games — and he made the most of it.&nbsp;

He was electric on both ends of the court, using his big body and elite handles to finish with a season-high 19 points, adding seven rebounds, four assists, and two blocks.&nbsp;

It wasn’t the greatest of starts for Utah, looking like a team who played last night as they fell into an early 7-0 hole. Back-to-back three-pointers by Malik Beasley and Kelly Olynyk put the Jazz right back in it — a theme for the first quarter.&nbsp;

Utah was locked in from behind the arc, shooting 7-of-13 from deep as they could stay in contact with the Nuggets. They trailed 28-26 after one.&nbsp;

The second quarter saw the Jazz come back down to earth from three, shooting just 2-of-10. But Horton-Tucker returned and found a rhythm early, tying the game at 34 following a personal 6-0 run.&nbsp;

The teams would exchange buckets for the next eight minutes, with Utah staying alive thanks to a balanced offensive attack. However, Denver closed the half with a 10-2 run as Utah struggled in transition.&nbsp;

The third quarter began with more of the same, each team exchanging buckets and the Jazz doing all they could to keep the game from getting out of control. After Denver’s lead reached 10, Utah responded with an 8-0 run as Beasley had five in a row.&nbsp;

Despite tying the game on multiple occasions, the Jazz were never able to pull ahead — until Beasley dropped another three late in the quarter to give Utah an 81-80 advantage. It was short-lived as Denver responded strong, taking a 92-90 lead entering the fourth.

The Jazz surged ahead in the fourth, going on a 7-1 run as Rudy Gay had a quick five points, forcing an early Denver timeout. The Nuggets would respond, tying the game at 104 with just over five to play.&nbsp;

But without the veterans and legs starting to get heavy, the Jazz struggled on offense and began to turn the ball over, allowing Denver a quick 7-1 run. But Utah would respond with a 5-0 run to tie the game at 110 with two minutes to go.&nbsp;

After the Nuggets took a two-point lead with a minute left, the Jazz looked poised to tie it when Horton-Tucker drove hard to the lane. He appeared to get hit in the arm by Nikola Jokic, but there was no whistle. Utah had one more chance to tie the game, but Alexander-Walker’s three was off the mark, ending the comeback.&nbsp;

“Just really proud of the way our guys battled all night long. … I thought they executed on both ends of the court,” Hardy said. “I never doubt our team’s intent to play together.”

Beasley finished with 19 points, five rebounds, and three assists, knowing down four shots from deep. Olynyk added 18 points, nine rebounds, and three assists.&nbsp;

Walker Kessler was sensational, going up against the two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, finishing with 10 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks in 22 minutes.&nbsp;

The Jazz will now have two days off before they host the West-leading New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.

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"I Thought They Deserved To Win" | Severely Shorthanded Jazz Almost Shock Denver

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Highlights: Talen Horton-Tucker – 19 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists

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Highlights: Jazz 110 | Nuggets 115

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