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Recap: Nuggets at Jazz

By Mathew Huff

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - OCTOBER 18: Gary Harris #14 of the Denver Nuggets controls the ball in the second half of their 106-96 loss to the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena on October 18, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - OCTOBER 18: Gary Harris #14 of the Denver Nuggets controls the ball in the second half of their 106-96 loss to the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena on October 18, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images) /
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The Denver Nuggets choked in the fourth quarter of their first regular season game.

Well, no one ever said being a Denver Nuggets fan was easy. The first game of the year proved it as the new look Nuggets were ousted by the Utah Jazz who no longer have Gordon Hayward. This goes to show anything goes in the pros, especially when it comes to division rivals.

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However, it still does not make up for the despicable fourth quarter performance from the Nuggets where they were outscored 28-13. To Denver’s credit, they did start off well. However, it is about how you finish, not how you start and the Nuggets learned this lesson the hard way on the road in Utah.

Nikola Jokic struggled mightily to get his shot going as he finished with only 7 points on 30% shooting. The couple bright spots were Gary Harris and Paul Millsap.

Millsap showcased his efficiency dropping 19 points on 46% shooting adding a three pointer along the way as well. Harris continues to show his great work ethic as he shot an outstanding 71% from the field which resulted in 14 points for the young shooting guard. He even tallied a steal and held the Jazz rookie to only 27% shooting from the field showing how good of a defender he truly is for the organization.

However, Rudy Gobert crushed Nikola Jokic in the paint scoring 18 points on 77% shooting which shows Nikola still has a lot of room for improvement on the defensive end of the court. We haven’t even gotten to the fact he recorded a double double as well by pulling down 10 rebounds.

The Denver defense was same old, same old as they let Ricky Rubio orchestrate the offense too much letting him get 10 assists and create easy opportunities for his teammates.

Next: Season predictions

The season is long, but Denver certainly needs to work on some things.

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