Kyle Korver had the hot hand from deep and Donovan Mitchell from everywhere else.
It added up to a big night in a place that’s proven tough for the opposition.
Mitchell scored 24 points, including six in the final two minutes, and the short-handed Utah Jazz ended Denver’s nine-game home win streak by holding off the Nuggets 111-104 on Thursday.
Korver hit six 3-pointers on his way to 22 points as the Jazz showed plenty of energy despite playing on the second night of a back-to-back and with two of their guards out of the lineup. Utah led by as many as 18 points in the third quarter, only to see the lead trimmed to five with 8:41 remaining. Korver helped the Jazz on a 13-0 run to gain some separation and send them to their third straight victory.
“We thrive on moments like this,” Mitchell said. “I think that’s a testament to our character as a team.”
Jamal Murray and Will Barton each had 21 points for Denver. All-Star big man Nikola Jokic dealt with foul trouble but still finished with 16 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists.
A Nuggets win would’ve vaulted them into first place in the Western Conference after a Golden State loss earlier in the night. But they were done in by their long-range woes, shooting 28 percent from 3-point range. It was Denver’s first loss at the Pepsi Center since Jan. 15.
“I thought our defense was really, really great,” Korver said, “and probably won us the game.”
The Jazz wore their colorful uniforms with some players accessorizing with brightly colored shoes. Joe Ingles went with red sneakers, Mitchell salmon, Derrick Favors red and Royce O’Neale green/yellow.
But it was their play that stood out. Ingles had 15 points and 10 assists, while Favors added 15 points and 11 rebounds.
After a fourth-quarter spurt, the Jazz led 97-79 with 6:17 remaining. Denver mounted one final rally and cut it to three on a 3-pointer by Paul Millsap with 1:14 left, before Mitchell took over to wrap things up.
“Through everything we went through in that game, after everything, I mean, we came back and fought,” Murray said. “That shows how good we are.”
Utah turned up the defensive intensity in the first half, forcing the Nuggets into 10 turnovers and 1-of-13 shooting from 3-point range. That, coupled with the play of Ingles (12 points in the opening half) and Thabo Sefolosha (nine in the second quarter alone) allowed the Jazz to take a 52-37 lead into the locker room. The 37 points were a season-low in a first half for Denver.
“We know they’re a great team,” Mitchell said. “We just tried to find a way to make it difficult for all those guys to get those shots.”
TIP-INS
Jazz: Guards Ricky Rubio and Raul Neto were both out with left hamstring tightness. Rubio left Wednesday’s win over the Los Angeles Clippers in the third quarter.
Nuggets: F Trey Lyles missed a fourth straight game with a strained left hamstring. … Denver missed 10 straight 3-pointers before Murray connected in the second quarter. … Denver is 8-2 against the Northwest Division — both losses to Utah. … Barton had 13 rebounds.
UP NEXT
Nuggets: Host New Orleans on Saturday to wrap up a four-game homestand.
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— Kevin Love scored 26 points, Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton each had 22 and the Cleveland Cavaliers overcame a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the New York Knicks 125-118. Cedi Osman added 21 points as Cleveland won for the third time in four games.
— James Harden had 58 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds and the Houston Rockets overcame a 21-point third-quarter deficit to beat the Miami Heat 121-118. Harden made 8 of 18 3-pointers and was 16 of 32 overall from the field and 18 of 18 on free throws. He fell three points short of his career high set at New York on Jan. 23, and had the most point ever against the Heat — breaking Willie Burton’s mark of 53 for Philadelphia on Dec. 13, 1994.
— Tobias Harris scored 32 points and Ben Simmons had a triple-double to help the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 108-104. Harris, acquired earlier in February in a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers, posted his highest point total in eight games with the 76ers. Philadelphia center Joel Embiid, the league’s No. 6 scorer, missed his fourth straight game with left knee soreness. Thunder forward Paul George, the league’s No. 2 scorer, sat out with soreness in his right shoulder.