SALT LAKE CITY — Two of the Nuggets’ worst irrational nightmares converged for a chilling stint.
The second quarter and the state of Utah.
In an occasionally shaky performance, the result was all that mattered Tuesday night as Denver conquered both fears in a 111-95 win over the end-of-year remnants of the Utah Jazz. It was just the second win for Michael Malone and Nikola Jokic at Delta Center in their respective Nuggets tenures, snapping a six-game losing streak in Salt Lake City.
“I’m just glad we won the game,” Jokic said.
The Nuggets (55-24) remain deadlocked with the Minnesota Timberwolves for first place in the Western Conference with three games remaining for both teams — most importantly the one Wednesday, when the Timberwolves visit Denver in a showdown that will break the tie. If the Nuggets lose, they’ll be positioned to finish as the No. 3 seed unless they get help from Oklahoma City.
“As I told our players,” Malone said, “let’s go home and we’ve got a big game in our building against a division rival and a team that we’re battling for first place. … Let’s go compete and then see what happens.”
To make it to that premier matchup unscathed, Jamal Murray had to definitively shake off any rust from the seven games he recently missed. He registered four steals and three blocks at the defensive end — “He’s just going for stats; he doesn’t really play defense,” Jokic joked — while shooting 11 for 20 en route to a game-leading 28 points. ”
Those included a career-high five dunks — all by halftime. A vicious reverse slam stood out in particular as a sign of his health.
“I came up the right wing; I was gonna shoot a three,” Murray said. “He wasn’t in position to stay in front, so I just went to the rim, and once I gathered, I was like, ‘I don’t think he’s gonna be able to stop this if I just keep going through.’ So I was able to get the reverse.”
It also helped Denver build a 19-point lead in the first quarter. Only for the dreaded second to enact its usual reversal of fate. The Nuggets entered this game ranked 21st in the NBA in second-quarter net rating (minus-3.5) and 29th in second-quarter defensive rating (119). After doubling up Utah’s 17 points in the first frame Tuesday, they allowed 36 in the second. That established the tenor for the rest of the game, as Utah scrapped to stay within single digits.
“I think our defense has been great overall, and you’re not gonna play outstanding defense for 48 minutes. It just doesn’t happen,” Malone said in a change of tone after having previously emphasized those second-quarter struggles as a must-fix earlier this season.
Late in the third, a 3-pointer from the hot hand of Talen Horton-Tucker sliced Denver’s lead in half. It remained a one-score game for only a few seconds; Reggie Jackson answered with the only three of his 1-for-6 night, jump-starting a useful 7-0 run. Horton-Tucker was a physical force for the Jazz, scoring 24 points to keep the game interesting with Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, John Collins, Walker Kessler, Kris Dunn and Jordan Clarkson all sitting out.
The Nuggets, meanwhile, were missing only Aaron Gordon as they continued their push for the top seed. The most beneficial goal they can accomplish this week aside from earning home-court advantage is getting Murray reacclimated before the playoffs. As he warmed up, Malone popped out to the court to check on him and watch the pregame routine from the bench for several minutes, dribbling a ball between his legs while observing. Murray is still on a minutes restriction — Malone played coy when asked for the number — but he looked as fresh as he had all game when Denver needed him most in the fourth quarter.
“Seven games off will do that for you,” Murray said. “So I feel good. It’s just good to get a flow out there. It’s more conditioning. Your breathing and muscle fatigue throughout the game. … Felt good, comfortable and just ready to play.”
Leading 95-88, Murray sank three consecutive 3-pointers in as many possessions to self-engineer a 9-2 run and finally help his team see the light outside Utah’s house of horrors. He clocked a total of 27 minutes.
“More important is the 3s,” Murray said. “More fun is the dunks.”
Jokic added 28 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and three steals in an imperfect performance for his standards. Christian Braun fueled the Nuggets early with 11 points on a trio of 3s.
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