Nuggets' comeback falls short in loss to Jazz

Nuggets coach Michael Malone likes to say he never worries about his offense. Over the last three seasons, his team has proved it can score under any circumstance. It’s the defense that keeps him up at night.

Thursday at Pepsi Center, however, was the rare game where the Nuggets failed to click on the offensive end. They looked out of sync during a dismal first half and never recovered as they fell 111-104 to the Utah Jazz on national TV.

The numbers from the first half should come with a trigger warning. Denver turned it over nine times and shot 16 of 47 from the field. Nikola Jokic was responsible for four of those giveaways. The Nuggets got outscored 33-15 in the second quarter, and the 37 points they had at halftime was their lowest scoring output in a half this season.

The Jazz extended their lead to 18 points midway through the third quarter. It looked like a blowout until Will Barton came alive. Barton willed the Nuggets back into the game with a pair of and-1s. He scored 13 of his 21 points in the quarter.

Denver got the lead down to four late, but in the end there was too much Donovan Mitchell (24 points), Kyle Korver (22 points) and Gobert (14 points). Korver hit several back-breaking jumpers down the stretch. The 37-year-old sharpshooter went 6 for 10 from 3-point range overall.

Jokic was quiet in the loss with 15 points on 5-of-15 shooting. Gobert frustrated him in a way few players have this season.

The loss snapped a five-game winning streak. The Nuggets had a chance to take sole possession of first place in the Western Conference as the Warriors also lost Thursday, but they remained in second a half game behind the defending champs.

Denver looks to rebound Saturday. It hosts the New Orleans Pelicans.