Denver Nuggets Hold Off Comeback by Utah, Win 103-101
Dec 1, 2014; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz guard Alec Burks (10) goes to the basket against Denver Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler (21) during the second half at EnergySolutions Arena. The Nuggets won 103-101. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
101. 118. 103. 73. Final
For the Denver Nuggets this season, not every win is pretty, but a win is a win. And never was that more obvious than Monday night in Utah.
The Nuggets dominated the Jazz in the first half, capitalizing on a 22-4 run that saw Denver take a 62-43 lead into the locker room. But the team came out flat after the break and the Jazz seemed determined to get back into the game. Behind the strength of aggressive defense and strong rebounding, the Jazz fought back to tie the game at 83 all. From there, it was a back-and-forth affair fueled by emotion, which finally bubbled over in the fourth quarter.
As Alec Burks drove to the hoop, Nuggets guard Arron Afflalo delivered a hard foul that sent Burks to the floor and set off pushing and shoving between the two teams. The officials ultimately ruled the foul a flagrant-two, saying Afflalo hit Burks in the head when he made contact, which resulted in Afflalo being ejected for the remainder of the game. Afflalo was visibly angry about the call, but after the game when he’d had time to cool down, he had this to say about the play when asked by an AP reporter:
"“I was just trying to go for a block. I wasn’t trying to be a tough guy. I’m anticipating getting to play tomorrow. We’ll see. Hopefully, they make the right call. But I do apologize for that, though, that hard foul.”"
In the end, the Nuggets were able to overcome Utah’s furious comeback. Ty Lawson buried a jumper with just under 30 seconds left to play, Trey Burke missed a game-winning three-pointer, and Darrell Arthur hit two free throws, giving the Nuggets the victory.
More from Nugg Love
- Was trading Bones Hyland a mistake for the Denver Nuggets?
- Did Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets break Anthony Davis?
- Denver Nuggets stars face serious disrespect in recent NBA rankings poll
- What will it take for Denver Nuggets star to become ‘inevitable?’
- Denver Nuggets NBA Training Camp report, other preseason dates to know
Seven Nuggets finished the night in double figures, with Lawson and Wilson Chandler leading the way with 15 points apiece. Lawson also posted 12 assists, on a night when he passed Michael Adams for fourth most assists in franchise history. Timofey Mozgov had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, although he struggled to guard Jazz center Enes Kanter, who bested Mozzie with 17 points and 15 boards. J.J. Hickson contributed solid minutes from the bench, putting up 10 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks in 21 minutes of work. Afflalo dropped in 14 points before he was sent to the locker room.
For the Jazz, Gordon Hayward led the way with 25 points, while Burks and Burke contributed 22 and 18 points, respectively.
The Nuggets bench outscored the Jazz reserves 38-13, finally showing what a deep team can do when players are making shots and getting good minutes. The Nuggets outshot Utah from the floor 47.1% to 42.9%, which helped them overcome a big deficit in team rebounding, which the Jazz won 48-39.
All in all, it was a pretty disappointing second half for the Nuggets, especially when compared to how great they looked in the first half. As the season progresses, the Nuggets will have to find a way to put games like this out of reach and finish off opponents so blowouts don’t turn into close games as a result of low energy or complacency. But in the end, the trip to Utah goes down as a W in the record books, and that’s all that matters.
With the win, the Nuggets improve to 9-8, while the Jazz fall to 5-13. The Nuggets are in action again tonight as they host the Portland Trailblazers at the Pepsi Center. The game gets underway at 9 p.m. ET/7 p.m. MT.