Denver • The Utah Jazz’s late rally fell short in a 110-102 loss to the defending champion Denver Nuggets on Monday night.
But after suffering an ugly defeat in Phoenix two nights earlier, Jazz head coach Will Hardy said there were “way more positive things coming out of tonight than negative.”
“A lot of positives to take out of this game: Obviously winning the second half, winning the third and the fourth quarter; having 19 assists in the second half; our activity defensively,” he said. “I think that’s the team that we’re trying to be every day. We’ve shown flashes.”
“Obviously, we would have preferred to win,” Hardy continued. “But that’s a very, very good basketball team that we just played.”
Nikola Jokic had 27 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for his second triple-double of the season and Jamal Murray added 18 points and 14 assists.
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, argues for a call in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
“Jokic and Murray are both capable of making a lot of tough shots,” Hardy said. “They put you in difficult positions, with not only their scoring but their playmaking. But I feel like our team showed what we’re capable of and now it’s about finding that consistency from the beginning of the game.”
Lauri Markkanen had 27 points and 14 rebounds, Walker Kessler added 22 points and 13 rebounds, and Talen Horton-Tucker scored 16 points for Utah.
Jokic is tied with LeBron James and Jason Kidd for fourth on the all-time list with 107 career triple-doubles.
“It speaks to his greatness, it speaks to his consistency, night in and night out playing the game at an extremely high level,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “The one thing you can compare LeBron and Nikola with is the ability to make everyone around them better. That is the definition of greatness.”
Denver has trailed for just four-and-a-half minutes this season. The Jazz led 3-2 for 16 seconds before the Nuggets grabbed the lead for good on a layup by Aaron Gordon.
Utah Jazz guard Ochai Agbaji, front right, drives past Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun, front left, in the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
The Nuggets led by 17 points early in the second half before the Jazz went on a run and closed within 73-65 late in the third quarter. Collin Sexton hit two 3-pointers to cut it to 85-80 against Denver’s reserves early in the fourth, but after a timeout Malone went back to his stars.
Jokic hit a hook shot, fed Gordon for an easy dunk and then Gordon followed Christian Braun’s miss with another slam to make it an 11-point game, and the Nuggets closed it out.
“I feel like our team showed what we’re capable of and now it’s about finding that consistency from the beginning of the game,” Hardy said.
Up next
The Jazz host the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night.
