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Introducing guard Rodney Hood, Jazz public address announcer Dan Roberts said, "Welcome back."

Such a greeting is being heard too often lately at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Or maybe not enough.

Favored to repeat as the Physician's Weekly Team of the Year, the Jazz reached the one-fourth mark of another adventurous season Saturday night in a 105-98 defeat of Denver.

Gordon Hayward made the milestone memorable with 32 points in his third straight 30-point game, topping by far the most prolific week of his career. The Jazz used his 21-point third quarter to pull away from the Nuggets temporarily, then they finally secured a much-needed win that followed Thursday's loss to Miami.

"It was little bit closer than we wanted it to be," Hayward said.

Then again, why should anything come easily for these guys?

Even with Hood returning from a hamstring injury, Hayward's scoring was vital in the absence of George Hill, whose sprained big toe is extending the theme of this season. The volume of the Jazz's injuries has been extreme. The list has covered their extremities, from Hayward's finger to Hill's toe.

"We've been able to kind of survive the storm and and find ways to win games without some of our top guys," Hayward said. "I'm proud of that."

The Jazz (12-9) have already used 11 different starting lineups, with coach Quin Snyder's preferred group available only once, in a victory at New York in November.

Snyder's hope? "Get guys back as soon as we can, so we can kind of see what we've got," he said before the game. "You'd think at this point of the year, you'd have a feel of how you fit together."

Logically so, but not practically so with this team in the past two seasons. And this part is either sobering or encouraging: Snyder figured it would be late December before his team meshed, even being healthy. Now, who knows when that will fully happen?

Hill, formerly the team's best player during his infrequent appearances, has missed 10 games in two stints. Hayward broke a finger during preseason practice. Mix in the usual basketball ailments involving a knee (Derrick Favors), an ankle (Alec Burks), a bone bruise (Boris Diaw's right leg) and a hamstring (Hood), and you have another frustrating season in the making — after injuries basically kept the Jazz from making the 2016 playoffs.

The consolation is that through it all, the Jazz remain in the Northwest Division race, trailing Oklahoma City by a half-game. They're seventh overall in the Western Conference, 1.5 games out of fourth place. The Jazz's record projects to 47 wins, which theoretically should be the minimum for this team, once everybody gets together.

The disappointing aspect is that the Jazz haven't been good enough or tough enough to fight through the challenges and win more home games. Explanations, of course are available: They lost to San Antonio without Hayward, to Memphis without Hill, to Chicago without Hill and Favors and to Miami without Hill, Hood and Favors.

Yet for them to be 6-5 on the road and 6-4 at home is weird, with the supposed built-in advantages of Vivint Arena. The 2007-08 Jazz of Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer went 37-4 in this building, and this team has already lost four home games.

Snyder spoke of accepting the reality of the team's health, while not using it "as an excuse or a reason for your team not being as good." Thursday's one-point loss to Miami was a good example. The Jazz clearly missed Hill and Hood, but should they have won anyway? Absolutely.

In Saturday's case, the Jazz let their Hayward-built, 23-point lead dwindle to five late in the game. "There wasn't [any] panic in us," Snyder said, approvingly.

The Jazz steadied themselves sufficiently to avoid any need for excuses — or reasons — to explain another defeat.

Twitter: @tribkurt