The Denver Nuggets will look to get back in the win column in the NBA when they travel to the Delta Center to face the Utah Jazz on Thursday morning.
Utah is 4-13 and currently 14th in the Western Conference, while Denver is 9-7 for the season to date, eighth in the conference standings.
Match preview
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The Utah Jazz have found it hard to get going this season and suffered their fifth defeat in their last six matches last night when they were blown away by the San Antonio Spurs 128-115 on the road.
Keyonte George led the team with 26 points and six assists on nine of 16 shooting, John Collins and Collin Sexton contributed 20 points apiece, and Lauri Markkanen added 14 points in the defeat.
The Jazz managed to make 51% of their shots from the field and went 13 of 35 from beyond the arc to keep things interesting, but their downfall came in the fourth quarter when they managed just 22 points, allowing the Spurs to pull away.
That result also marked Will Hardy's side's third consecutive loss in the NBA Emirates Cup, confirming their elimination from advancing to the quarter-final of the in-season tournament.
Utah is now averaging 109.8 points per game (22nd in the league) and they are allowing 119.1 PPG (fourth-most in the NBA), while their ATS record stands at 8-9-0 for the season (47.4%).
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Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets have been misfiring over the last couple of weeks, and they were handed their fourth defeat in their last six games when they were completely outplayed by the New York Knicks on Tuesday.
Russell Westbrook put up 27 points on nine of 16 shooting off the bench, Nikola Jokic picked up 22 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, and Jamal Murray added 20 points, but it was not enough to avoid a 27-point thrashing.
As a collective, Denver shot 44% from the field and made 11 of 33 from long-range, but their defence went missing for large periods, particularly in the first half when they shipped 76 points which saw them fighting uphill for the entire match.
Michael Malone and Jokic both mentioned in the post-match press conference that slow starts have been plaguing the team this season, as they have found themselves down at half time in five of their last six games.
Still, the Nuggets are a top 10 team in the scoring charts, averaging 117.5 points per game (seventh overall), but they are bottom 10 on defence, allowing 116.6 points against per game (23rd in the NBA).
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Team News
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Markkanen sustained a left knee contusion in the fourth quarter of the last game against the Spurs which forced him off the court and he is listed as a major doubt for Thursday's matchup.
Jordan Clarkson missed the game against the Spurs due to a left foot injury, his second absence in the last three games, though his availability status has been upgraded to probable for the match against the Nuggets.
Peyton Watson was cleared to play against the Knicks, but he is listed as probable for Thursday's game against the Jazz owing to a right adductor strain, while Aaron Gordon (calf) is still sidelined with no clear timetable for his return.
DaRon Holmes II underwent surgery in July to repair a torn right Achilles tendon and will miss the entire 2024-25 season, and Vlatko Cancar is out for the foreseeable future due to a left knee sprain.
Utah Jazz possible starting five:
Collins, Clarkson, Kessler, George, Sexton
Denver Nuggets possible starting five:
Porter Jr, Westbrook, Jokic, Braun, Murray
We say: Denver Nuggets to win by 5+ points
While the Nuggets have been some way from the type of form we have become accustomed to in recent seasons, they have more than enough class in the team to turn things around, and a good performance against the lowly Jazz could be just what is needed to get them going.
The Jazz are on the end of a back-to-back and their defence has been well short of the mark this season. We feel they will struggle to keep up with the Nuggets in this one.
