Jazz 85, Nuggets 81
SALT LAKE CITY -- Derrick Favors amassed 16 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks, and the Utah Jazz increased their season-high winning streak to four games with an 85-81 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night.
Favors, a forward, hit a key jumper and free throw to give the Jazz a late five-point lead. He then made a hustle play, saving the ball to a teammate after a missed Utah shot with seven seconds remaining.
Small forward Gordon Hayward followed Favors' nice play with two free throws to put the Jazz up by four and all but clinching the win with 5.5 seconds remaining.
Hayward finished with 16 points and five assists for the Jazz, who improved to 23-25.
Forward Danilo Gallinari led all scorers with 24 points for Nuggets, who had some momentum coming into this one after snapping Toronto's 11-game winning streak.
But the Nuggets only shot 37 percent, including 4 of 18 from 3-point range.
Utah hit 44.6 percent from the field but also struggled from distance, hitting only 5 of 22 treys.
Denver, which has been held in the 80s in three losses to Utah this season, only scored 35 points in the second half.
Forward Kenneth Faried scored 14, guard Will Barton added 10 points and 10 rebounds, and guard Gary Harris chipped in 11 points for Denver. The Nuggets dropped to 19-31.
Center Rudy Gobert scored 12 points with five rebounds and a block, guard Raul Neto added 10 points, four assists and four rebounds, and guard Rodney Hood and forward Trevor Booker each scored eight for the victorious Jazz.
This was the sixth consecutive game in which the Jazz held an opponent to under 100 points. Utah improved to 19-6 when its foes didn't reach the century mark in scoring.
NOTES: Jazz rookie Trey Lyles was named to the Rising Stars Challenge roster on Wednesday. The Canadian forward, who will play for the World team, is replacing injured Bulls F Nikola Mirotic. ... Lyles joins two Utah teammates in the annual rookie-sophomore game -- Gs Rodney Hood (U.S.) and Raul Neto (World). The Jazz and Minnesota are the only two teams with three players in the All-Star Saturday game. ... Utah recalled rookie Tibor Pleiss from the Idaho Stampede. The 7-foot-3 center has now completed two D-League assignments this season. ... Denver coach Michael Malone pointed out that the Jazz's record is 1-18 when their opponent scores 100 points or more. Regarding pace of play, Malone said, "Now it's not just about running up and down, being wild. You have to be disciplined within that to work for the best shots and value the ball, but it cannot be a half-court, walk-it-up game. Advantage Utah." ... G Jameer Nelson (wrist) and F Wilson Chandler (hip) did not dress for the Nuggets. The Jazz were without G Dante Exum (knee) and G Alec Burks (leg).