SALT LAKE CITY—The Nuggets earned another big win Wednesday night, prevailing 130-117 over the Utah Jazz. The win comes off the shoulders of All-Star point guard Jamal Murray, who scored 37 points to aid Denver in their 7th win in a row.
The Nuggets improve to 49-28, sitting firmly at 4th place in the Western Conference just one day after officially clinching a playoff berth for the 8th consecutive season.
The Nuggets got off to a very hot start, scoring 39 points in the 1st quarter, including a 49-foot 3-pointer from Murray as time expired. Denver continued to make shots as they led for the entirety of the game. During the contest, 14 of the 15 available Nuggets saw the court.
Murray led both teams in scoring with 37 points, including 10 3-pointers to go along with 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Nikola Jokic contributed 15 points, 17 rebounds, and 12 assists as Denver controlled the entirety of the contest.
“Just playing aggressive, playing my game. The ball is finding me, and I’m just playing free. That’s the biggest thing, all year I’ve just been playing free and my teammates trust me.” Murray said post-game.
The unsung heroes of the game were guard Christian Braun’s 18 points and forward Cam Johnson’s 19 points. The duo was key in Denver’s road win, shooting a combined 58 percent from the floor, an efficient figure that kept the ball out of Utah’s possession for extended stretches.
Aaron Gordon, normally known for his efficiency, went only 1 for 7 from the field, his lone make being a 3-pointer. Gordon has missed a significant amount of games this season, but Denver is hoping he can continue to improve, as he was a crucial piece of their championship team during the 2022-23 season.
The Nuggets were great at getting free throws in this game, shooting 26-31 from the line. Those free shots, combined with 16 made 3-pointers and 53 total rebounds for the team, were all key aspects of the win, allowing the Nuggets to dominate the scoreboard as they rarely let Utah have any second-chance points.
Denver will now get a few days’ rest before hosting the number 2-seed San Antonio Spurs, led by MVP front-runner, Victor Wembanyama. The Nuggets will need another performance like tonight if they hope to beat the Spurs on Saturday, April 4th, at Ball Arena.
The Nuggets had plenty of hustle, efficiency, and chemistry in the win in Salt Lake, and there will need to be plenty more of that as the post-season approaches rapidly. As they try to carry this momentum into the playoffs, it is certain that when they are firing on all cylinders, the Denver Nuggets are a hard team to beat.
