Nuggets at Jazz
THE STORY: After gutting out a road victory at Sacramento on Thursday, the Utah Jazz return home for the second half of a back-to-back against the Denver Nuggets on Friday. Al Jefferson tipped in a missed floater by Devin Harris (who said it was a pass) with 0.9 seconds left as the Jazz escaped Sacramento, 103-102, and secured their fifth consecutive victory. Denver improved to 12-1 against the East as JaVale McGee tipped in the winning shot in a 116-115 victory at Detroit on Wednesday in his Nuggets debut.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (26-21): Tonight’s game marks the start of a seven-game trip for the Nuggets, who won’t return home until April 6. Denver will have to endure the trip without forward Danilo Gallinari (fractured left thumb) and guard Rudy Fernandez (lower back surgery). Fernandez is out for the rest of the season. “We can be a pretty good basketball team even without (them),” coach George Karl said. We just have to go on the road and try to win some games.”
ABOUT THE JAZZ (25-22): Back home, Utah will try to earn its season-high sixth consecutive victory Friday night after splitting two games in Denver so far. The Jazz are a half-game behind eighth-place Houston in the West. “You can’t say enough about our guys and the sense of urgency as the season winds down,” Utah coach Tyrone Corbin said after Thursday’s victory. “We are in a playoff hunt and teams are fighting to get into the playoffs, so this win was nice for us.”
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Utah leads 66-17 all-time against the Nuggets at home.
2. Andre Miller has played in 740 of his last 741 games - including Wednesday's tilt against Detroit that saw him tough out a separated shoulder he suffered Monday in Dallas. The only game he has missed during the stretch was Dec. 7, 2010, against Phoenix as he served an NBA suspension.
3. Since 1976-77, 18 Jazz players have scored 40 or more points against Denver, by far the most by a Nuggets opponent. The next closest is Houston with nine.