The Denver Nuggets barely beat the shorthanded Utah Jazz on Friday night, as they trailed by as many as 13 points midway through the final quarter before staging an epic comeback.
Utah found itself ahead 120-107 with 6:49 left in the fourth quarter. However, Denver staged a 19-6 run in less than five minutes and tied the game at 126-126 with 2:20 left.
In the end, the Nuggets’ depth and star power proved crucial, as they edged the Jazz 135-129. Nikola Jokic finished with a triple-double of 33 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists, while Jamal Murray added 31 points, six boards and 14 dimes.
The Jazz, playing without their best players in Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, Jusuf Nurkic and Jaren Jackson Jr., saw Cody Williams and Kyle Filipowski combine for 49 points. Seven Utah players scored in double figures.
While the Jazz blew a huge lead, the Nuggets did benefit from a rather crucial mistake from the referees.