Nuggets at Jazz
The Denver Nuggets have not been over .500 since winning the first game of the season but can get back there when they visit the Utah Jazz on Monday. The Nuggets failed in their last chance to become a winning team but crushed the Phoenix Suns 122-97 on Friday to get back to even. The Jazz have not had a winning record yet this season and are losers of five straight, including three in a row at home.
Utah is putting together a young core of players under a first-year head coach and is dealing with the inconsistencies stemming from that approach. “I’d be shocked if we weren’t inconsistent right now, to be honest with you,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder told reporters. “Inconsistency is human nature. To do something well all the time, that’s excellence.” The Nuggets have been much more consistent of late and are winners of six of their last seven games.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, Altitude (Denver), ROOT (Utah)
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (8-8): Denver’s big transformation has come on the defensive end, where it has held opponents to 97.3 points in the last seven wins as opposed to giving up 116.3 during a six-game slide that dropped the team to 1-6. The Nuggets put in work on the offensive end with a season-high 122 points on Friday as seven players scored in double figures. Point guard Ty Lawson is leading the charge and has recorded a points/assists double-double in six of the last seven contests.
ABOUT THE JAZZ (5-12): Utah fell behind 35-18 after the first quarter in Saturday’s 112-96 home loss to the Los Angeles Clippers and never recovered. “When you’re playing from behind all game, it’s tough to generate emotion and enthusiasm—and that’s what we need to make up for our inconsistency right now,” Snyder told reporters. The bright spot of late has been forward Gordon Hayward, who has scored 24 or more in three of the last four games and is 19-of-33 from the field in the last two contests.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Northwest Division rivals split four meetings last season, with each winning once on the road.
2. Utah G Alec Burks suffered a shoulder injury Saturday and is questionable for Monday.
3. Denver F JaVale McGee (leg strain) has missed the last three games and is day-to-day.