GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA via AFP / MATTHEW STOCKMAN
KEY POINTS
- The Jazz will try to snap their four-game home losing streak when they face the Nuggets Saturday
- The Nuggets’ bench is likely to carry the fight against the Jazz with top stars on the sidelines
- Denver also lost its last two assignments
The Denver Nuggets are down to their last two games and are not expected to slow down with the 2022-23 NBA playoffs nearing.
The Western Conference champions will try to sweep their last two remaining games and build momentum heading into the postseason wars. Their first of two tries happens on Saturday when they visit the Utah Jazz at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The Denver Nuggets (52-28) are -2.5 favorites to prevail over the already-eliminated Utah Jazz (36-44), according to USA Today. The moneyline for this encounter is -280 for Denver and +220 for Utah.
Both the Nuggets and the Jazz are on a losing streak. Denver lost its last two assignments, the last of which was to the Phoenix Suns, 115-119.
The Nuggets’ Bruce Brown tallied 31 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in that Thursday loss to the Suns. Reggie Jackson added 20 points and six assists.
Regulars such as Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr., Jamal Murray and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope did not see action and watched from the bench.
Regardless, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone was happy with the effort that his team gave against the Suns, ESPN reported.
“I am happy and almost a little (ticked) because I thought we should have won,” Malone said. “Our guys fought, competed, played their hearts out and gave us a chance to win.”
On the other side, the Jazz is also reeling from four-straight losses – the last of which was at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder, 98-114, Thursday.
Kris Dunn led the Jazz’s losing cause with 22 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. Backing him up was Kelly Olynyk, who finished with 16 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists.
“It’s a hard moment to know that you’re out. But, again, I don’t think our team should walk out of here or think about this season in any other way than with their heads up and their shoulders pulled back with a lot of pride,” Utah coach Will Hardy said after the game, according to ESPN.
Although they have already been eliminated from the NBA playoffs, the Jazz is trying to break its five-game home losing streak.
The Jazz will try to pull the rug from under the Nuggets Saturday, with tip-off set for 3:30 p.m. EDT. The game will be shown over AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain, with live streaming also available via FuboTV.
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