Takeaways from Denver’s loss in Utah
By Mathew Huff
Denver was outmatched in the second half against the Utah Jazz.
The Denver had a one point lead at the half. However, Utah made adjustments and came out in the second half making the Nuggets pay for their poor defense.
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Nikola Jokic was nearly not aggressive enough to propel them over their division rival. Jokic finished with only seven points while coming away with six assists and six rebounds. The Nuggets must find a way to shore up their road struggles.
Otherwise, they will miss the post season, especially since Paul Millsap is not coming back anytime soon. The second unit looked extremely lost out on the floor and the Jazz took advantage. Utah forced many turnovers which was ultimately Denver’s downfall. Not to mention, the Jazz showed why they are one of the best three point shooting teams in the league this season. The rotations slowed way down from the first half and Denver was unable to answer back on the other end with their own three pointers.
The Nuggets are now 0-2 against the Jazz this year. The good thing is, the Jazz have to come to Denver for the remaining two match ups left in the season. Utah just seemed like they had the Nuggets’ number in this game which is concerning. Yes, Denver is without Paul Millsap. But, the Jazz were without their sole star in Rudy Gobert along with Rodney Hood and they still defeated Denver by 20 plus points.
The Nuggets are in the midst of one of the easier parts of their schedule. They must bounce back, otherwise, they will have a difficult time in late December to early January.
Next: Player grades from Nuggets at Jazz
The Nuggets played an embarrassing second half and it cost them in the long run.