The Denver Nuggets fell to the Utah Jazz by a final score of 106-96 in the first game of the season.

What began as a positive night quickly turned sour. After establishing a lead early in the first quarter Denver managed to expand or even gain a larger advantage over the Jazz for a majority of the night. The Nuggets looked to be on their way to a comfortable victory … until it mattered most.

The Jazz bridged the gap from the 3rd to 4th quarters with a 21-2 run and never looked back. Utah outscored Denver 28-13 in the final quarter using pressure defense and trapping the Nuggets second unit. The collapse was an eerie reflection of last season. One of Denver’s most prominent issues was not being able to play a complete 48 minutes and that’s exactly what killed them – in the end – Wednesday night.

Like last season, turnovers plagued the team once again; tallying 22 on the night, 10 of which came in the final quarter.

The Nuggets did a poor job at dealing with adversity late in the game when the pressure was ramped up by the Jazz. Michael Malone’s Nuggets allowed 106 points to a team that ranked 28th in the NBA in points per game last season.

All in all, it was an unsettling loss to start the season for a Denver Nuggets squad that is looking to make the playoffs for the first time in four seasons.

Will Barton led the way for the Nuggets offensively, scoring 23 points (20 in the first half) while adding six rebounds and two assists. This was Paul Millsap’s first regular season game in a Denver Nuggets jersey. The 6’9 power forward was up-and-down for most of the night, recording 19 points, six rebounds, and an assist.

The Nuggets will now set their sights on head coach Michael Malone’s former team, the Sacramento Kings, who are set to a pay a visit to Pepsi Center this Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. MDT.

For additional coverage on Wednesday’s loss, watch the periscope below!