The Nuggets refused to accept any excuses as they stunned the rival Jazz in a shocking 98-95 win in Salt Lake City Wednesday Night. Due to injuries and a blockbuster trade, Denver only played seven players, but it didn’t matter as it ended a nine-game losing streak at the Jazz’s homecourt.
"I've said this a lot recently, but this is our new best win of the year. Such a great group of guys in there," Nuggets head coach Michael Malone told reporters after the game. "It speaks to the great belief they have in one another. Next man up mentality....This schedule has been brutal and to come in here and get another division win against a team that is really tough to beat in this building [is incredible]. Jamal [Murray], Monte [Morris], Gary [Harris], Nikola [Jokić], Torrey [Craig], Vlatko [Čančar] and PJ Dozier, I'm so proud of them."
Jokić had one of the best performances of his career, notching his 11th triple-double of the season with 30 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists. His efforts on glass matched his personal best and he became just the 10th player to have a 30-20-10 game in NBA history. Murray was also incredible in this contest, pouring in 31 points and four assists in just his second game back since returning from a two-week injury.
READ MORE:- Twitter celebrates Nuggets win vs. Jazz- Introducing: Shabazz Napier- Introducing: Noah Vonleh- Introducing: Keita Bates-DiopJokić and Murray ensured the short-handed Nuggets would overcome a slow start and remained competitive throughout the contest. After Denver took a 7-3 lead, the Jazz would respond with an 18-6 run sparked by three treys from Mike Conley to take a 24-13 advantage. Jokic rallied the troops though, helping his team finish the first quarter with just a seven-point deficit after putting up eight points and four rebounds in the opening 12 minutes.Murray got firing in the second quarter, hitting 5 of 8 to score 12 points. The Jazz would enter the break with an eight-point lead thanks to the efforts of Bojan Bogdanovic, who poured in 11 points in the second quarter. In the first half, the Nuggets struggled to defend the three-point line as the Jazz hit 11 of 23 from downtown. Denver, alternatively, only converted three of their 13 attempts. In the second half, Malone’s team picked up its efforts on the defensive end of the floor and it would pay dividends with the Nuggets taking a 76-75 lead at the 11:14 mark of the fourth quarter on the back of a 20-5 run. With 1:11 remaining, Torrey Craig made one of the biggest plays of the night, collecting an offensive rebound off Murray’s missed three to feed Jokić for a mid-range shot. The Serbian hit a clutch bucket, giving his team a 96-95 lead.
Craig would come through with another critical board seconds later as Bogdanovic clanked his attempt on the other end. The Jazz would have another attempt to take the lead but the Nuggets defense wouldn’t relent and Gary Harris would come up big. The shooting guard grabbed the rebound off Conley’s miss and converted two key free throws to give the Nuggets a three-point lead. Malone’s group would hold to seal the first win in Salt Lake City in his tenure as head coach. Denver remains undefeated in the Northwest Division at 8-0.
"Who gave us a chance to win this game? Nobody," Malone said. "What we did in Milwaukee, what we did tonight is just a testament to the confidence that we have, the courage that we have and the resiliency we have."
"Nobody would think we could win it. All the pressure was on them," Jokić added to Altitude's Katy Winge, "We had seven healthy bodies. Everybody stepped up. Everybody was there."
Here are the takeaways:
Jokic moves past previous Salt Lake City struggles for career nightThe Nuggets two-time All-Star center has had his struggles in Utah, averaging 10 points throughout his career in Salt Lake City. It didn’t matter Wednesday night as he was unstoppable against the NBA’s 2019 Defensive Player of the Year in Rudy Gobert. With Denver being short-handed, the team needed top-level performances from its stars and Jokic was consistent throughout the game. His ability to facilitate from the post gave Utah trouble as it couldn’t rely on double teams to stop him. He also helped on defense, grabbing two steals and he only conceded one turnover on the night. Jokic has been absolutely torrid in 2020, as he was averaging 24.6 points, 10.6 boards and 6.9 assists on 53.8 percent shooting. He is four triple-doubles away from tying Fat Lever’s franchise record of 43. Murray pinpointThe Nuggets largely couldn’t connect from downtown, hitting seven of their 23 attempts, but Murray kept the Jazz’s defense honest. Murray would hit 4 of 9 from three en route to a 31-point game for the Nuggets. Malone has to be thrilled by what he’s seen from his lead guard, who has poured in 51 points in two games in his return from injury. Murray played a game-high 43 minutes and each was invaluable for his teammates.
"That was amazing," Murray said of the win to Altitude SR. "We had good energy from the start, we came with the right energy, the right mindset. Coach [Malone] had a great gameplan and we did a great job executing." Monte and Torrey prove clutch Monte Morris quietly had an efficient night for Denver, pouring in 15 points on 7 of 12 shooting to go along with three assists. He was particularly effective in the first half, keeping the Nuggets in the game with nine points. Craig scored just eight points but he was outstanding on defense and the glass. He helped contain Donovan Mitchell to another off night against Denver, with the Jazz star shooting just 8 of 24 Wednesday. Craig also collected 12 boards, including two clutch ones down the stretch in the final two minutes of the game.