Game 79 was a victory.
The Denver Nuggets defeated the Utah Jazz, 111-95, on Tuesday night. This was Denver's first victory in Salt Lake City since 2020.
Denver is now 55-24 on the season, just 3 victories shy of setting their franchise record for most wins in an NBA season. Denver is tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, who they play on Wednesday night at Ball Arena.
The Nuggets are 28-4 against below-.500 teams this season after the win against the Jazz, the second-best record in the NBA against losing teams.
"We've done a great job all year long of beating the teams that, on paper, you're supposed to beat," said head coach Michael Malone.
Jamal Murray paced the Nuggets with 28 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 4 steals. This was just Murray's second game back after a seven-game absence, and he put up these gaudy numbers in just 27 minutes of play. After the game, he was awarded Denver's Defensive Player of the Game ('DPOG') for his defensive activity.
"I thought his defense and his approach was where it needs to be as we approach the postseason," Malone said.
Nikola Jokić also reached the 28-point mark and added 13 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals to his box score.
Denver outpaced Utah on the fastbreak, 25-8. The Nuggets also recorded 30 assists on their 46 total made shots, an excellent measurement of teamwork.
They used a hot start to build a 17-point lead. Jazz reserves checked in and got the deficit down to single digits, but the Mile High crew used a strong Murray fourth quarter to build back a 10-point advantage and cruise to the victory.