Denver Nuggets defeat cold-shooting Utah Jazz, 107-83

Denver, Colo. • They bounced off the backboard, swished underneath the net rather than through, and some even teetered on the rim.

But most of the Jazz’s open shots — they didn’t go in.

It was a flat night from Utah in a 107-83 loss to the divisional rival Denver Nuggets — a team it had beaten by double-digits twice before this season.

The Jazz shot only 32 percent from the floor, and worse still (29 percent) from three. While Derrick Favors led with 20 points, it came on a hard-fought 6-for-14 shooting night. Rookie Donovan Mitchell added 13 points and six assists, but the rest of the Jazz starters were 8 for 25 from the field.

Jamal Murray (22 points) helped lead a first-half rally that saw the Jazz fall behind by 14 at intermission. While they showed some fight at the beginning of the third, perimeter defense broke down, leading to easy buckets for Denver guards.

To rub salt in the wound, former Jazzman Trey Lyles — traded this summer for the pick that would become Donovan Mitchell — had 16 points and eight rebounds, including an impassioned dunk after driving past Derrick Favors.

While the Jazz started the game without their star big man, Rudy Gobert (PCL sprain), the Nuggets finished without theirs. In the fourth quarter, Nikola Jokic was ejected on a flagrant 2 foul in a collision with Jonas Jerebko.