Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman credited his team’s effort and Jamal Murray’s performance in Monday’s 128-125 win over the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center.
“I thought we were better defensively. Keyonte George played great. He made some really tough shots. We changed our coverages with him,” Adelman said, highlighting adjustments that contained Utah’s scorer late in the game.
Adelman noted turnovers as a key issue but praised the team’s resilience. “The turnovers killed us tonight. It really allowed them to run, led to 25 fast break points. A little bit better in the second half, but I just thought we stayed with it,” he explained.
The coach singled out Murray for his decisive role. “Jamal was really special. I mean 45 points on 19 shots. He carried us. He had legs tonight. Tough shot-making. We tried to get him into certain combinations where he had matchups that he liked,” Adelman said.
Regarding defensive strategies against Nikola Jokic, Adelman emphasized exploiting open shots. “We have to make open shots. We made 16 threes. If they put three people on him, other guys have to be aggressive to score. You got to take advantage of this,” he said.
Adelman reflected on the game’s key coaching moments. “That’s a good lesson in why you save your coach’s challenge for the last possible second. Sometimes it’s worth just being right, but you might need it later. I’m glad I had the two timeouts left. It allowed us to advance the ball, play the free throw game,” he noted.
The Nuggets executed a planned defensive approach on Utah’s final shot attempt. “We said if they’re back to the basket, it’s an automatic foul. Once he broke Bruce’s shoulder, now it’s one-on-one, now you’re scared to foul. Bruce was right to make the decision on the fly,” Adelman explained.
Jonas Valanciunas received praise for his contribution in limited minutes. “I thought Jonas could attack the offensive glass. High-low action, plus-10 in a short stint. He was efficient, got to the line, hit the glass. That’s what we need from him,” Adelman said.
The Nuggets overcame injuries and a back-to-back schedule with Murray scoring 45 points, including eight three-pointers, while Jokic added 22 points and 12 rebounds. Utah’s Keyonte George finished with 36 points but missed a potential game-winning free throw late in the fourth quarter.
Denver improves to 38-24 and will host the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, while Utah falls to 18-43 and visits the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday.
