The Denver Nuggets locked in during the second half against the Utah Jazz to win 132-121 on the road.

It’s the first time the Nuggets have won both road games in Utah in franchise history. They’ve won multiple games in Salt Lake City in a single year, but never in the same season.

It took a herculean performance from Nikola Jokic to get it done. Jokic put up 36 points, 23 rebounds, and 10 assists in his 38 minutes. He shot a poor percentage from the field on 34 shots (14-of-34) but several of those possessions generated as offensive rebound for himself or a teammate. More than anything, he just wasn’t going to let the Nuggets lose tonight, keeping them in the game despite what it might do to his shooting percentages.

No matter the efficiency, 36-23-10 is a stupid stat line. That is incredible. Jokic also achieved 15,000 points in his NBA career today. The only other centers to achieve 15k points before their Age-30 season were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O’Neal, Moses Malone, and Walt Bellamy. Not bad for a passing merchant.

That relentlessness was extremely important for a Nuggets squad that didn’t make a ton of outside shots tonight. They were 9-of-30 overall and 6-of-21 if you take away Jokic’s shot attempts. It wasn’t a perfect game from anyone by any stretch…

Well, except for Russell Westbrook, who quite literally had a perfect game. 7-of-7 from the field, 2-of-2 from the free throw line, and zero turnovers. Westbrook turned in the second perfect triple-double in NBA history with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists tonight.

Westbrook started the night with assists to Christian Braun in transition, who finished with 20 points almost entirely built on the fast break. The Nuggets veteran point guard stayed involved throughout the evening, collected four steals, and made things easier on himself around the rim with great cutting and basketball IQ. It was a tremendous performance for him and a rare time where two players on the same team rack up triple-doubles.

But that’s not all! Jamal Murray ALSO had 10 assists, finishing the game with 20 points as well. It’s the first time since 1992 that three teammates have had 10+ assists in the same game.

Jokic, Westbrook, and Murray were all on point tonight, as evidenced by Denver’s 37-to-7 assist-to-turnover ratio. The Nuggets didn’t make as many shots as they could have, but it didn’t matter. They were relentless tonight with 34 fast break points, 76 points in the paint, and 18 offensive rebounds.

The game really turned in Denver’s favor when they finally bothered Utah’s offense. The Jazz scored 37 points in the first quarter and 29 in the second. In the third quarter, Denver outscored them 34-23 and never looked back after that. Jordan Clarkson made it a close game with some tough shotmaking, and Collin Sexton hit a variety of mid-range jumpers and floaters. Outside of those two, the Nuggets mostly contained what the Jazz wanted to do in the second half.

Westbrook’s Impact

I didn’t really know what to expect when Russell Westbrook arrived in Denver. I had preconceived notions based on what I’d heard about him from other people, but I wanted to see what he brought to the table myself before making a sweeping judgment.

It took a bit of an adjustment period for him to figure out the spacing and timing of Denver’s offensive and defensive schemes, but he appears to have it mostly down pat now. It’s the nuanced passing angles, the understanding of where and how to involve his teammates, and how he can stay involved on the defensive end that have really impressed me.

Shooting efficiency was never really on my radar with him. He has such great traits in other categories that he doesn’t have to be massively efficient in order to be impactful. And yet, he now has a perfect triple-double on his resume as well. His shot selection has improved in Denver, and his connection with all three of Jokic, Murray, and Porter has improved during that time as well.

Is he going to remain a starter when the Nuggets get healthy? Probably not, though it is a possibility I’m considering more seriously now that ever before. Playing him and Aaron Gordon together makes the spacing difficult for Denver, but the spacing between Westbrook and Braun in the starting lineup hasn’t been that bad despite neither shooting it well from deep.

Either way, the Nuggets collected a diamond in the rough in Westbrook this offseason. He’s not the player he was painted to be by either Los Angeles franchise, and his malleability to make a situation like Denver work shows good character and resolve on his part.

Final Rotations