The Utah Jazz opened their preseason with a 109-97 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday at the CU Events Center in Boulder, Colorado, as their starting lineup established control early.
Utah jumped out to a 36-26 lead after the first quarter and maintained a double-digit advantage for most of the game. The Jazz led 63-52 at halftime and entered the fourth quarter ahead 88-77.
Lauri Markkanen led Utah’s starting group with 17 points in just 14 minutes, shooting 5-of-12 from the field and 3-of-7 from three-point range. He also went 4-of-4 from the free-throw line.
Keyonte George added 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including 1-of-3 from three, while Jaren Jackson Jr. finished with 11 points, four rebounds and two assists on 4-of-7 shooting.
Jusuf Nurkic contributed four points, five rebounds and four assists in 11 minutes, while Darryn Peterson recorded three points and six rebounds.
The Jazz also received strong contributions from their second unit. Blake Hinson scored 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting and made four of his five three-point attempts. Kyle Filipowski added 10 points and five rebounds, while Isaiah Collier had nine points and four assists.
Utah shot 42% from the field and made 15 of 45 three-point attempts. The Jazz also held a 54-47 rebounding advantage and finished with 28 assists.
Denver was led by Aaron Gordon, who scored 12 points in 10 minutes on 4-of-8 shooting. Cameron Johnson and Tyus Jones each added eight points, while Jones also recorded six assists.
Nikola Jokic had three points, three rebounds and seven assists in 15 minutes. Christian Braun scored six points, while Julian Strawther added 14 points off the bench on 6-of-13 shooting.
The Nuggets struggled from three-point range, making just 11 of 39 attempts. They shot 40% overall and committed 11 turnovers.
Utah’s starting lineup helped the Jazz build a 10-point lead after the opening quarter, with Markkanen, George and Jackson Jr. combining for 43 points in limited minutes.
The Jazz continued to control the game after halftime before their reserves extended the lead to as many as 18 points in the fourth quarter. Hinson scored nine of his 14 points in the final period, including three three-pointers.
Denver made a late push but could not significantly cut into the deficit as Utah closed out its first preseason game with a 12-point victory.
