No Rudy Gobert? No problem — the Utah Jazz still dominated the Denver Nuggets in the paint.
No Rodney Hood? No problem — the Jazz still made 44 percent of their 3-pointers.
It might not seem to make sense, but somehow the Jazz (10-11) found a way to keep an edge against the struggling Nuggets on Tuesday night at Vivint Smart Home Arena, pounding them in a 106-77 blowout for their second win in two meetings this season.
Even without several key players from the teams’ first meeting in the season opener, the Jazz took a similar route to victory. Without their top rim-protector and their leading scorer, they blew Denver off the court in a runaway second half — a 30-point advantage in the end.
Derrick Favors has advice for the kids out there: When you aren’t shooting well, keep shooting.
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) November 29, 2017
24 points for him on 12 of 16. pic.twitter.com/hIflvz23tP
Derrick Favors played the leading man of the game, rocking his way to 24 points, nine rebounds and five assists in a matchup with heralded Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic. While Jokic put up a humble stat line of seven points, six rebounds and six assists, Favors continually whipped the Serb in the post on pick-and-roll looks, shooting 12 for 16 from the floor.
He also had three blocks.
“The box score says it with Fav, but I think he was better than the box score,” coach Quin Snyder said. “He’s different than Rudy, but he was also so effective protecting the rim today because he was just playing vertically.”
Quin Snyder was pleased with the defense and Derrick Favors. pic.twitter.com/ZbF8lh6iLm
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) November 29, 2017
The Jazz were also aided by another floor-stretching start by Jonas Jerebko, who had 15 points, including three 3-pointers. He and Ricky Rubio (13 points) helped carry Utah through a rocky stretch in the first half, when the Nuggets led by as much as seven points.
The switch flipped on to start the second half, when Utah went on an 18-6 run after being down by one point at the intermission. After scoring only 17 points in the third quarter, the Nuggets offense bogged down even more for 11 points in the fourth.
All told, Utah held Denver to 36 percent shooting and the Nuggets had 17 turnovers. With 77 points, the Nuggets were held to a season low. The effort prompted coach Mike Malone to call it an “awful, embarrassing night for the Denver Nuggets.”
#Nuggets coach Michael Malone on second half downturn against Jazz: “They did whatever they wanted. We were completely outplayed...just an awful, embarrassing night for the Denver Nuggets.”
— Gina Mizell (@ginamizell) November 29, 2017
Utah captured its third straight win ahead of a trip to visit the injury-plagued Clippers, needing only one more victory to return to a .500 record.
While former Jazz lottery pick Trey Lyles played garbage minutes in the season opener, Tuesday provided his first meaningful opportunity to play against his former team. It probably wasn’t what he hoped: He played 18 minutes off the bench, finishing with six points on 2-of-6 shooting.
In one sequence, memorable to Jazz fans if not to Lyles, 33-year-old Thabo Sefolosha knocked the ball from his hands and managed to dunk over him on the fast break.
Thabo Sefolosha had only one FG tonight but it was a memorable steal-and-score going against Trey Lyles. pic.twitter.com/3D4mGm5fn8
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) November 29, 2017
The player Utah got back in dealing Lyles, Donovan Mitchell, had a relatively quiet start himself. Checking out in the first quarter after attempting only one shot, Mitchell made some sparks in the second quarter with six — including a windmill dunk after a foul that didn’t end up counting but pleased the Vivint crowd all the same.
But in the fourth quarter, Mitchell got it going: He scored 10 points in the last period, including a 3-pointer with 6:11 left that capped an 18-4 Jazz run.
Likewise, not an easy offensive night for Donovan Mitchell, but this bucket was a definite good night call for Denver. pic.twitter.com/LUMvq6SvVe
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) November 29, 2017
The Nuggets soon subbed out their starters, slinking away with a loss. And Utah kept up in what’s become a rugged Western Conference race with a win over a division rival. The Jazz have now beaten four of their last five opponents by double digits — all without Gobert.
“We’re moving the ball better, we’re looking for the extra pass, and we’re getting better as a team,” Rubio said. “As the season goes on, that’s the way we want to play as a team.”