When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where:
TV/Radio: ALT; 950 AM
and
Spotlight on Donovan Mitchell: The newly minted NBA Rookie of the Month was the bright spot in a rough December for the Jazz, averaging 23.1 points per game during that span to emerge as Utah’s leading scorer. A relentless driver and tenacious defender, Mitchell has averaged 13 points, four assists, 2.3 rebounds and 2.3 turnovers against Denver, the team that drafted him last summer for the Jazz as part of the trade that sent and the draft pick that became to the Nuggets.
Notebook
Jazz: It is 3-7 in its last 10 games to fall to 10th place in the Western Conference. … Utah’s road record is 3-15, the worst in the West entering play Thursday. … Rudy Gobert, a double-double threat and standout interior defender, remains out with a knee injury. … Utah entered Thursday ranked 20th in the NBA in offensive efficiency (104 points per 100 possessions), 11th in defensive efficiency (104.6 points allowed per 100 possessions) and 27th in pace of play (96.99). … Sixth man Rodney Hood averages 17 points per game off the bench.
Nuggets: Coach Michael Malone has expressed the importance of finishing the season series against division-rival Utah 2-2 because of tiebreakers for playoff seeding. … Denver committed 21 and 17 turnovers in its two losses to the Jazz in Salt Lake City, and just nine in its win last week at Pepsi Center. … Sixth man and backup point guard is fighting flu-like symptoms, but was not listed on the Nuggets’ injury report released Thursday afternoon. … Lyles is coming off his fourth double-double of the season with 16 points and 11 rebounds against the Suns. He has also scored 15 or more points in 10 of his last 12 games.
