Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray lift the Nuggets beyond ‘scary’ jazz – The Denver Post
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The Jazz limped into Ball Arena on Saturday night with an injured unit, with injuries to key players and pitting after a 118-108 home loss to Minnesota on Friday night.
“These teams scare me,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “This game will test our maturity.”
And Denver’s frequent matador defense. Ole!
Sure enough, the Jazz pushed the Nuggets to the limit before Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic – both Denver veterans – carried the Nuggets to a 115-110 win.
Jokic had a triple-double – 31 points, 12 rebounds and 14 assists – and his perfect pass to Bruce Brown for a slam with 1:19 left was the key bucket of the game. It was Jokic’s fourth triple-double this season and the 80th of his career.
Murray, who scored 30 points, drained two free throws late to clinch the win.
Malone, who worked the game with a back injury that forced him into the locker room during the first quarter, had good reason to be nervous.
Utah played without guards Mike Conley, Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson, as well as forward Lauri Markkanen, but five Jazz players scored in double figures, led by Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s 27 points.
Although Denver threatened to put Utah in its rearview mirror throughout the game, the Nuggets’ lead was only 92-90 at the end of three quarters. And the Jazz were leading 105-104 with 4:53 to go when Alexander-Walker drained a free throw.
Thursday night, Murray sank a game-winning 3-pointer in Denver’s 121-120 victory at Portland, scoring 14 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter. Was he up for an encore?
Absolutely, he shot 13 of 19 from the field and dished out five assists.
Murray and Jokic went 10-2 in the final two minutes of the first half to extend Denver’s lead to 61-52.
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