SALT LAKE CITY — The Nuggets’ Northwest Division lead didn’t disappear in Utah, but the biggest blow to date in their bid to hold on to it was dealt here Friday night.
They still have the lead. But that is now a half-game in a division race that has an increasingly negative feeling of finality to it — as in when the standings are final, the Nuggets will be looking up at the leader.
The Utah Jazz beat the Nuggets 97-91 at EnergySolutions Arena on Friday in a rock ’em, sock ’em game in which Utah punched hardest and, most importantly, punched last. Along the way, the Nuggets built a 19-point first-half lead (surprise!), lost that lead (no surprise), played competitive ball for a while after losing the lead but faltered in the fourth.
Thus, the Jazz, which has won the Northwest Division each of the last two seasons, now owns a 10-game winning streak. The Nuggets were sent away with a four-game losing streak in Utah. They have lost six of their last nine games overall.
The Nuggets’ legs got the best of their hearts. The Jazz pumped up the pace in the second half, and the tired Nuggets — in the second game of a back-to-back — bowed to the pressure.
When George Karl called a timeout at 9:47 of the third quarter, the Jazz had cut the lead to two with a 17-0 run that spanned parts of the second and third quarters. It wasn’t long before Utah took the lead.
“We didn’t have any offensive hot guys,” Karl said. “In the first half, we were really good. You expected Utah to make a run.”
Utah’s do-everything guard, Deron Williams, scored 12 points in the third quarter while the Nuggets’ bricks piled up to 6-for-20 in the period. Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups picked up fourth fouls and sat on the bench more than they played. The Jazz scored 36 points in the quarter, one point less than it had in the entire first half.
The fourth quarter was a Jazz coronation. Utah scored from inside and out, built a 12-point lead and coasted.
“They (officials) started blowing the whistle a lot,” Nuggets guard J.R. Smith said. “Utah got every call and went to the line. I think that’s what opened it up.”
The Jazz started the game extremely out-of-sync. Passes were thrown away, basketballs were dropped and fumbled around. Even the trademark pick-and- roll was disjointed. To add insult to all of that, Utah couldn’t make shots.
Meanwhile, the Nuggets couldn’t be commended for smooth play on offense, playing mostly one-on-one basketball. Of their first 12 field goals made, the Nuggets had just three assists.
But shots were falling. And the fans’ boos, which were directed squarely in the Nuggets’ direction at the start, began to be turned to the hometown team. Halfway through the second quarter, the Jazz had 10 turnovers and zero second- chance points.
When Nene made a layup and free throw with 2:40 in the second, the Nuggets had their biggest lead of the game at 47-28. But through the muck of the first half, a 9-0 run to close the second quarter put the Jazz within striking distance at 47-37.
Utah was led by Williams’ 25 points and 11 assists. Smith had 27 points for the Nuggets, and Anthony, coming off a 38-point game vs. Portland, had 20.
Chris Dempsey: 303-954-1279 or cdempsey@denverpost.com
Nuggets Recap
What you might have missed
Renaldo Balkman’s appearance against the Jazz was just the second time he’s seen action in the last six games. . . . Coach George Karl emptied the bench in the first quarter, playing nine players out of the 10 who suited up. . . . Nene took just two shots and had zero points, no rebounds and a foul after the period. He didn’t get his first rebound until 7:56 in the second quarter.
Final thought
The Nuggets squandered a big-time chance for a season-boosting win.
Up next
at Sacramento, Sunday, 7 p.m.
Chris Dempsey
