Nuggets lose 15th of last 16 trips to Utah as defense disappears

The Nuggets’ Wednesday evening loss to the Jazz, 124-111, was by no means unsure. On Friday (8 p.m. MT, ESPN), they are going to make their means again residence to tackle the New Orleans Pelicans at Ball Enviornment.

These are three classes realized from the defeat.
Particularly in protection, outworked
Provided that they had been coming off of two days off and an hour-long journey to Utah, this was probably the Nuggets’ least spectacular efficiency of 2023–24 to this point. The Jazz benefit reached a excessive of 25 factors within the third quarter, virtually matching the largest deficit Denver has confronted this season. Nevertheless, that 26-point lead got here in opposition to the title-contending Thunder, not a sub-.500 crew like Utah.

It isn’t just like the Jazz aren’t performing properly. It has gained eight of the earlier ten video games going into the match on Wednesday, together with back-to-back away victories at Milwaukee and Philadelphia, solidifying its place within the working for Play-In Match qualification.

Excluding their first factors of the sport, the Nuggets however carried out just like the crew with the more serious report. They opened the scoring when Nikola Jokic pulled down a one-handed rebound and despatched the it to Michael Porter Jr. in the midst of the courtroom with out even decreasing it under his shoulders. The Jazz ran all around the starters and reserve gamers after that transition layup, making them seem torpid.

Denver gave up 71 factors on 61.9% capturing on the half, resulting in a 16-2 benefit in quick break factors. Of Utah’s 26 made baskets within the half, 21 had been assisted.
An outdoor outlier?
The Nuggets’ poor defensive efficiency was largely as a result of their perimeter protection. This season and former, their general defensive effectiveness has largely rested on limiting opponents’ 3-point makes an attempt. Nevertheless, in creating their huge lead, Utah, which was ranked twenty sixth within the league in 3-point share (35.1%), took benefit of open photographs past the arc. Through the sport, the Jazz shot 40.6% from three, together with 50% within the first half.

With 27 factors, together with 12 free throws, Jordan Clarkson led Utah, and Lauri Markkanen scored 26, demonstrating Denver’s remarkably subpar inside self-discipline.

The Nuggets have usually been in a position to flip issues round in the identical sport after going by a horrible defensive run. Take final week’s sport in opposition to Golden State, the place the Warriors led by 44 factors within the third quarter earlier than an unimaginable 18-point comeback by the Nuggets within the fourth. However this time, following a string of ineffective defensive performs, Michael Malone ran out of timeouts with 5:46 remaining within the sport. Denver was open to being uncovered on the opposite finish every time it missed a shot.

The Salt Lake blues persist regardless of the extraordinary warmth. Jokic
One of many extra puzzling numbers from Jokic’s profession has endured in Utah lengthy after the Donovan Mitchell–Rudy Gobert interval got here to an finish. Because the 2014–15 season, the Nuggets have now dropped 15 of their earlier 16 precise street video games in opposition to the Jazz. The following 12 months, Jokic got here round. When he performs, the Nuggets are 1-12 in Salt Lake Metropolis, with a median lack of 11.3 factors and a minus-147 level distinction in these 13 video games. Jokic’s lone victory at Delta Middle comes from their famend seven-man match in 2020.

Denver was past assist, not even along with his latest spike in capturing effectivity. It took the middle a number of minutes into the third quarter to overlook a subject purpose. He ended the evening 8 for 9 (27 factors, 11 rebounds), bringing his complete during the last seven video games to 83% (62 for 75).

Denver solely collected 27 assists all through the sport, and he was additionally liable for six of the crew’s 16 turnovers.

This season, the Nuggets will go to Utah another time, but it surely will not be till April ninth, throughout their 79th regular-season sport.

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