The Denver Nuggets defeated the Utah Jazz 135-112 last night in controlling fashion. If you only looked at the last three quarters though, you’d notice that the Jazz won the final three quarters by 2 points.
This can be looked at in two different ways. A cynic’s view would see this as Denver letting off the gas once again and turning a clear 30+ point blowout into something that was too respectable. An optimist’s view would see the first quarter for what it was: the start and end of the actual basketball game.
Yes, the Jazz continued to try out there. Yes, the Nuggets didn’t give their best effort in the final three frames. No, neither of those things actually matter in the grand scheme of things.
The Nuggets started this game by going on a 19-0 run. They were gifted a failed goaltending call against Spencer Jones that turned into points on the other end for Denver, but outside of that, this was pure shotmaking from the Nuggets.
Ultimately, it turned into a 33-5 run to start the game, effectively ending things before it even really got started. Let’s take a closer look at how Denver did it:
- Nikola Jokic got the scoring started with a mid-range and three-point jumper, neither of which touched the iron. He also blocked Svi Myhailiuk at the rim which led to his own trail three.
- The Jazz missed three after three. They couldn’t break the ice until it was too late. Denver contested some shots well. Others, they allowed Utah to shoot for free. It didn’t matter either way.
- Jamal Murray and Peyton Watson (making his return from injury) took turns raining hellfire inside and out. They scored Denver’s next 19 points, Murray with silky smooth shooting and Watson with his combo of elite athleticism and the Jazz daring him to make jumpers. He did.
Jamal Murray pulls up from DEEP when the defense goes under pic.twitter.com/wGOwzNl8DW
— Matt Brooks (@MattBrooksNBA) December 23, 2025
- Brice Sensabaugh came into the game and scored the only five points for the Jazz in this stretch. He’s a good bench wing stuck in a poor situation.
- Tim Hardaway Jr. came into the game and drilled his first triple. He finished the game with six makes from outside.
- Spencer Jones struggled throughout this game shooting the ball (he was basically the only one other than Julian Strawther) but he played some solid defense and had a nice cutting layup through traffic off a Watson assist.
- The run ended with Murray splitting a pair of free throws, Taylor Hendricks hitting a three-pointer for the Jazz, and Lauri Markannen finally getting on the board with an And-1.
So, a 33-5 run, a tremendous performance for the Nuggets started mostly, who came into the game like they were mad about the way the Houston Rockets game went last Saturday. Jokic ended up with a low volume triple-double (14 points, 13 rebounds, 13 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks?!) on just seven shot attempts.
Also, why did Jokic call for a lob?!
Nikola Jokić calls for the lob (!!) and finishes it pic.twitter.com/pLTBCwEsYT
— Matt Brooks (@MattBrooksNBA) December 23, 2025
Jamal Murray had 27 points, six rebounds, and five assists while shooting 6-of-12 from three himself. Murray’s efficiency probably could’ve been better, but he started trying some outrageous things the moment the Nuggets got up by 20. He’s having fun.
Cam Johnson deserves some credit. He only attempted six three-pointers all game, but he made all six. Perfect shooting efficiency, including on some difficult quick release attempts from the strong side corner after bullet passes from Jokic.
Hardaway Jr. had 21 points including the aforementioned six threes. Bruce Brown had 15 points on 7-of-9 from the field, making his only perimeter attempt.
Could the Nuggets have piled on a little more? Sure. Was it necessary to show how good they are? Absolutely not. The Nuggets showed that dominance in the first eight minutes of the game. The rest was just window dressing.