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It's all about making adjustments.

Still smarting from a disappointing defeat last weekend in Denver, the Jazz made a big adjustment for their rematch with the Nuggets: plugging George Hill back into the starting lineup.

Hill, who had missed eight straight games with a sprained right thumb, made his return Wednesday night at Vivint Smart Home Arena, scoring 22 points and leading his team to a 108-83 win over the Nuggets.

"It's like a quarterback in a huddle," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said before the game of having Hill on the floor. "Someone's calling a play and everyone's looking at him. When you see a guy with the ball and you're all looking at him, that confidence and that leadership exudes."

The Jazz had certainly been missing that. Utah went 3-5 in Hill's absence and was riding a four-game losing streak coming into Wednesday night.

Watching from the bench, Hill said he had seen a team that looked "a bit unorganized" and was frustrated he couldn't do more to help.

"I like to be out there," he said. "I like to be part of the moment. Especially it's not fun when you're losing, on a losing streak. That kind of makes it a little more stressful."

With Hill back on the floor, everyone seemed to breathe easier.

Hill had been the Western Conference's player of the week before injuring his hand in a game against the New York Knicks and, despite a two-week absence, the veteran guard seemed to pick back up right where he left off.

The Jazz, who had scored 14 points in the first quarter Sunday night in Denver, raced out to a 14-0 lead in the opening 2-plus minutes on Wednesday night.

And after a cold stretch in the second quarter allowed Denver to erase a 17-point lead completely, Hill helped get things back on track. He ended the first half by crossing over Nuggets rookie Jamal Murray and driving to the hoop for a layup. Midway through the third, he capped off a 17-3 run with a triple to put Utah back on top by 20.

"My teammates did a great job of helping me get some easy ones, where I'm just catching and shooting and playing my game," Hill said.

The Jazz would lead by as much as 28 on the night and along the way Hill showed off his skills on both ends of the court. He helped limit Denver's starting point guard, Emmanuel Mudiay, to three points on 1-of-8 shooting. He found Rudy Gobert for a lob and two of his 19 points. He took pressure of Gordon Hayward, who finished with 22 points, seven assists and five rebounds.

"He plays with so much control and poise and he's a good decision maker," Hayward said after the game of Hill. "He draws in the defense, allows me to get some easier looks, he allows Rudy to get some things. He makes the game a lot easier."

Murray led the way for Denver, scoring 23 points. But the Nuggets looked tired as they played their third game in four nights and certainly missed the offense of forward Danilo Gallinari, who was out with a leg injury.

Hill's thumb was padded and taped and he said Wednesday his thumb still feels "a little sore", but he showed little signs of it on the floor as he knocked down eight of his 13 attempts and finished with five rebounds, three assists and two steals. —

Storylines

R The Jazz never trailed Wednesday and the Nuggets only tied the game once.

• Rudy Gobert had 19 points and 17 rebounds, helping the Jazz to a 52-30 advantage in points in the paint.

• Forward Boris Diaw had his best game as a Jazzman, scoring 11 points with three rebounds and three assists.