It’s official: The Nuggets are taking on the Jazz in the first round of the NBA playoffs. The Interstate 70 rivals will be meeting for the fifth time in the postseason and the first since 2010. Here’s a look at what happened in those previous series:
1983-84 playoffs: First round — No. 2 Jazz 3, No. 7 Nuggets 2
The Nuggets entered as the No. 7 seed against the Midwest Division winning Jazz. After Utah took Game 1, Denver battled back to take Games 2 and 3. But Adrian Dantley wouldn’t let the Nuggets seal the upset, averaging 31.0 points over the series to lift the Jazz to victory. Denver had three players average at least 20 points during the series — Alex English (29.0), Dan Issel (27.4) and Kiki Vandeweghe (25.4).
1984-85 playoffs: Second round — No. 2 Nuggets 4, No. 6 Jazz 1
After upsetting the No. 3 seeded Rockets in the first round, the Jazz had a rematch with Denver, this time with their roles reversed. The Nuggets won the Midwest Division with the second-best record in the West. Led by Alex English’s 30.6 point in the series, the Nuggets exacted revenge on the previous season’s defeat. The only blemish Denver had in the series was a 131-123 loss in Game 3 in Salt Lake City.
1993-94 playoffs: Second round — No. 5 Jazz 4, No. 8 Nuggets 3
Fresh off of beating the Supersonics in the first No. 8 upset of a No. 1 seed in NBA history, Denver quickly fell behind 0-3 in its second-round series with Utah. With their backs to the wall, the Nuggets — behind Reggie Williams’ 21 points — squeaked an 83-82 Game 4 win to avoid the sweep. Then Denver went to Utah stole one on the road in Game 5. Center Dikembe Mutombo lead the team with 23 points and 12 rebounds in Game 6 to force a winner-takes-all Game 7. Utah would hang on in Game 7, winning 91-81, to take the series and advance to the Western Conference Finals.
2009-10 playoffs: First round — No. 5 Jazz 4, No. 4 Nuggets 2
Denver took Game 1, but would lose the next three to Utah. Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups combined for 49 points to lead the Nuggets to a 116-102 win at home in Game 5. The two combined for 50 in Game 6, but fell to the Jazz, 112-104.
— , The Denver Post
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