But it was Nikola Jokic who hammered the final nail in the Game 7 series finale at Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Many have summarized the series as a clash between Mitchell and Jamal Murray, who both posted two 50-point games. The season everyone thought had ended when the Jazz and the Oklahoma City Thunder were sent back to the locker rooms back in March due to Rudy Gobert's COVID-19 diagnosis, is over for Utah for good. Donovan Mitchell hits the floor.Īnd just like that a Game 7 where Donovan Mitchell led a rally from a 19-point deficit to a retake the lead for a time was over, with Utah falling to Denver 80-78. SALT LAKE CITY - A historic first round of the 2020 NBA playoffs between the Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets ended as players and viewers alike held their breath as Mike Conley's Hail Mary 3-point shot moved through the air for what felt like an eternity. Reading or replaying the story in itsĪrchived form does not constitute a republication of the story. Nuggets: At Golden State on Friday night.Only for your personal, non-commercial use. … Kelly Olynyk got a technical in the fourth quarter. But he picked up fouls four and five early in the third quarter before he could be substituted. Jazz: Clarkson welcomed the Jazz fans before the game and reminded them that WNBA star Brittney Griner remains in a Russian prison and needs the fans’ “blessings” … At one point, Vanderbilt was outrebounding all of the Nuggets, 12-9. ![]() … Denver committed seven turnovers in the fourth quarter. … The Nuggets outscored the Jazz in the paint, 68-42. Nuggets: Jokic was visibly frustrated, committing an offensive foul and then getting burned by Sexton on consecutive possessions for baskets late in the game. I know what he’s capable of,” Malone said. This is his first NBA game since April 12th two years ago. He played 25 minutes, the most he has played in a full scrimmage or preseason game since the injury. I got some great looks, rushed into them hoping just to get a little rhythm,” Murray said. Murray, who missed all of last season due to knee surgery, scored 12 points on 5-for-13 shooting. Despite Gordon’s 16 points and Jokic’s 14, the Nuggets trailed 75-53 and the Jazz left for the halftime break to a standing ovation from a stunned, yet energized crowd. When Sexton hit a 3-pointer late in the second quarter, the Jazz led 68-44. are also back from injuries but the Nuggets looked rusty, especially on defense as they allowed a 14-0 run to start the second quarter and 27-7 overall surge that put the Jazz in command. Key players Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. “The Bull is back,” he said, referring to his nickname, “Young Bull.” “It’s going to help us down the road to build that confidence that if I’m open, I know my teammates are going to get the ball to me,” said Sexton, who missed most of last year with a torn meniscus. Jokic, the two-time reigning Most Valuable Player, brought the Nuggets back to 105-98 on a running hook.īut Gay and Beasley made back-to-back 3-pointers while the Nuggets shook their heads and Beasley did an extended shimmy. A series of turnovers and missed rotations allowed the Nuggets to claw back from 24 points down. The Jazz, as might be expected with a young team with 10 new additions, nearly unraveled after leading comfortably most of the game. I think the mentality was that we didn’t know what to do,” Jokic said. “Even when we provided open looks, we didn’t shoot those. Nikola Jokic scored 27 points and Aaron Gordon had 22 for Denver but they weren’t happy with their first game. Rookie Walker Kessler had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and the Jazz shot 50.6% from the field. Rudy Gay scored 16 points, Malik Beasley had 15 and Conley, the lone returning starter from last season, had 13 as Utah had seven players in double-figure scoring. But in this league you can’t pick and choose when you play.” “We looked like a different team, felt like a different team (in the second half). ![]() ![]() “In that first half (the Jazz) outworked us and I think to a man everyone in (our) locker room would agree,” Denver coach Mike Malone. It was a surprising result for a Denver team built for a title run and the Jazz, who are rebuilding after trading cornerstones Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. ![]() He’s given a lot of guys a lot of confidence to go out there and play the right way,” Mike Conley said.
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