Denver Nuggets (47-28) beat Utah Jazz (21-53) 135-129 at home on Friday, March 27. The Jazz led after three quarters, but the Nuggets took control in the fourth.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Nuggets struck first, taking the opening quarter 37-26 and a 11-point lead after one. The Jazz pulled even with a 36-25 second quarter, sending the game to halftime tied at 62.
The Jazz won the third 43-36 to turn the game around, taking a 7-point lead into the fourth. The Nuggets took the fourth 37-24; the Nuggets completed the comeback for a 135-129 regulation win.
What decided it
The Nuggets made 27.4 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 14.7 for the Jazz. The Nuggets grabbed 30.6% of their own misses, while the Jazz recovered 20.5%. The points at the line gave them room for error elsewhere.
The Jazz did win one battle, ball security: TOV% of 9.6 against 13. The Nuggets made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 106 possessions per team, the Nuggets produced 127.1 points per 100 possessions to 121.4 for the Jazz.
The Jazz's reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 47-21.
Who made the difference
Nikola Jokic was the game's biggest individual force for DEN: 33 pts, 15 reb, 12 ast on 13-16 shooting. His Game Score of 34.3 led everyone. His team was +13 with him on the floor.
Cody Williams led the Jazz with 24 pts, 0 reb, 7 ast on 9-14 shooting, good for a 22.1 Game Score.
Nikola Jokic (33 pts, 15 reb, 12 ast) and Jamal Murray (31 pts, 6 reb, 14 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Nuggets about a 92% chance.
Across the last 6 meetings in our records, Denver Nuggets lead 6-0.
The Nuggets are now 47-28, and the Jazz are 21-53. The Nuggets last five before this game: L-W-W-W-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.