Nuggets at Jazz
The Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz are coming off their most successful months of the season and they’ll try to maintain their momentum when they meet Wednesday in Salt Lake City. Denver went 8-8 in March, the only full month of the season it didn’t finish under .500. Denver beat the visiting Jazz on Friday, marking the fourth straight loss for Utah, but the Jazz bounced back to win the last two and finished 10-6 in March.
Last month was highlighted by a four-game winning streak for the Nuggets, but any chance of finishing March with a winning record was washed away after they lost five of their last seven games. In the 107-91 win against the Jazz last weekend, Utah had trouble with the Denver backcourt of Ty Lawson and Jameer Nelson, who scored 18 points apiece. Nelson continues to play well, adding another 22 points in the six-point loss Saturday against the Portland Trail Blazers.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, Altitude (Denver), ROOT (Utah)
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (28-46): Danilo Gallinari sat out Saturday’s loss to Portland with a shoulder injury and has missed three of the last seven games. Still, he had one of the best scoring months of his career, averaging 17.8 points in March, which was partly boosted by the career-high 40 points he scored March 22 against the Orlando Magic. Gallinari also did something last month that only Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors have accomplished this season and that’s produce at least 23 points, five assists and five rebounds in 24 minutes or less, which he accomplished March 11 against the Atlanta Hawks.
ABOUT THE JAZZ (33-41): During the four-game losing streak last month, Utah was without starters Gordon Hayward and/or Rodney Hood in three of the four games, but the Jazz are 2-0 since both rejoined the starting five. Hayward has been particularly tough on the Nuggets the last two years, averaging 25 points in four games last season and 21.3 in three games this season. Hood recorded a season-high point total three times last month, topping off with 24 points against the Charlotte Hornets on March 16, and won't see action against the Nuggets after suffering a concussion on Monday.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Denver G Randy Foye owns the Utah franchise record for 3-pointers in a season (178), set during the 2012-13 campaign.
2. The Jazz are last in the league in assists at 19.8 a game.
3. Utah is giving up a league-low 94.9 points a game after finishing 18th in that category a year ago (102.2).