Nuggets blast Jazz in fourth quarter to score come-from-behind win

There’s a different vibe around this Nuggets team, shooting guard Gary Harris said last week. Apparently, that vibe includes Mason Plumlee sinking 3s.

The Denver Nuggets looked dead in the water in the third quarter against the Utah Jazz. Their offense was sputtering. But Denver’s second unit gave it life to start the fourth quarter. Shooting guard Malik Beasley sank a pair of 3s. Then with 8:39 remaining, a sequence nobody could have predicted elevated the Nuggets to another level: with the shot clock winding down, Mason Plumlee drilled a contested 3 from the right side of the floor. Plumlee celebrated the first 3-point make of his career by holding his follow through.

The Nuggets beat the Jazz 103-88 thanks to another strong defensive effort and excellent play from their reserves. Beasley hit three 3-pointers in the final quarter, which Denver won 35-15. Plumlee played well on both ends. Juancho Hernangomez followed up his 23-point game Thursday with eight points.

Overall, the Nuggets held the Jazz to 40.7 percent shooting. It was the fifth time in nine games the Nuggets have held their opponent under 100 points.

Jamal Murray (19 points) and Gary Harris (20 points) carried the scoring load. Paul Millsap (13 points) continued his strong play as he reached double figures for a fourth straight game. Nikola Jokic was mostly a distributor. He had only seven points but handed out 16 assists.

The Nuggets improved to 8-1, while the Jazz fell to 4-5.