Jazz at Nuggets
THE STORY: The Denver Nuggets had an easy time with the Utah Jazz when the two teams met in Denver on Dec. 28, and aim to repeat the success when the teams again meet at the Pepsi Center on Sunday. The Nuggets built a 17-point halftime lead and Nene scored a season-high 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting as Denver cruised to a 117-100 meeting. The Nuggets are brimming with confidence entering the rematch after producing a solid 117-104 victory over the Miami Heat on Friday. Denver led by five points entering the final quarter and smoked the Heat over the final 12 minutes. Utah has won six of its last seven games after defeating the New Jersey Nets 107-94 on Saturday. Al Jefferson had 20 points and Paul Millsap had 18 points and 12 rebounds as Utah outscored the Nets 64-26 in the paint. The game in Denver is the Jazz’s only road contest in an eight-game span.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ROOT (Utah), Altitude (Denver)
ABOUT THE JAZZ (7-4): C.J. Miles had his best outing of the season in the victory over the Nets with a season-high 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting. Miles was shooting just 30.1 percent entering the contest and had played fewer than 10 minutes in two of Utah’s previous four games. If Miles can find his stroke, it will make Utah a much-more dangerous team and he will cut into the minutes of either Gordon Hayward or Raja Bell. Miles averaged a career-high 12.8 points last season.
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (7-4): Denver has struggled from 3-point range this season but you wouldn’t have known that by the stellar long-range showing against Miami. Denver was 12-for-25 from behind the arc with Rudy Fernandez, Danilo Gallinari and Al Harrington each knocking down three. The Nuggets are shooting just 33.2 overall as they adjust to a different cast of offensive players than in recent seasons when Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups and J.R. Smith were among the players hoisting shots. Normally solid Arron Afflalo is shooting just 33.3 percent from behind the arc.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Denver has won six of its last seven home games against Utah.
2. Jefferson is averaging 16.7 points and 10.5 rebounds in 22 career games against the Nuggets.
3. Despite its 3-point struggles, Denver leads the NBA in field-goal percentage at 49.2.