The Denver Nuggets delivered one of their most explosive offensive performances of the season on Monday night, rolling past the Utah Jazz 135–112 at Ball Arena.
Denver seized control immediately, opening the game on a 19–0 run in the first four minutes and never allowing Utah to recover. The early burst set the tone for a night in which the Nuggets tied a franchise record with 24 made three-pointers.
The home side shot 68.2 percent in the first quarter and finished 24-of-46 from beyond the arc, turning the contest into a blowout before halftime. Denver led 40–15 after one quarter and carried a 69–46 advantage into the break.
Jamal Murray paced the attack with 27 points, knocking down six three-pointers and scoring five of them in the first half. His shot-making fueled Denver’s spacing and punished Utah’s early defensive breakdowns.
Cameron Johnson was flawless from long range, going 6-for-6 from three and finishing with 20 points. Peyton Watson also scored 20 after missing two games, adding energy on both ends during extended minutes.
Nikola Jokic recorded another triple-double, finishing with 14 points, 13 rebounds, and 13 assists. The performance marked his 14th triple-double of the season and the 178th of his career, achieved midway through the third quarter.
Utah struggled to find rhythm early, missing its first 10 field-goal attempts and committing two turnovers during Denver’s opening surge. A corner three by Brice Sensabaugh finally put the Jazz on the board, but the deficit had already ballooned to double digits.
The Jazz showed brief life late in the third quarter, trimming a 27-point gap to 17 behind a 13–2 run. That momentum was short-lived, as Denver answered with another wave of perimeter shooting to restore control.
Lauri Markkanen led Utah with 27 points, while Keyonte George added 20. Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 21 off the bench and briefly cut the deficit early in the fourth with three three-pointers in 46 seconds.
Denver finished the night shooting 51 percent from the field and posted 37 assists on 46 made baskets, underscoring its ball movement and offensive balance. The win improved the Nuggets to 21–7, reinforcing their position near the top of the Western Conference.
Utah fell to 10–18 and has now dropped three straight games, continuing a stretch of defensive struggles on the road.
The Jazz will host Memphis on Tuesday night, while the Nuggets travel to Dallas for the second night of a back-to-back.
