+2
Andrei Kirilenko almost spoiled this game with a late-second steal, but he missed two shots before the buzzer went off.
With 1.2 seconds left in the game and a 103-101 Denver Nuggets lead, Kenyon Martin made a bad pass that Andrei Kirilenko stole. Kirilenko missed the layup, grabbed the board and failed to get the shot off in time. The Nuggets defeated the Utah Jazz, 103-101.
In the final five minutes of play, Raymond Felton and Arron Afflalo each hit a key three-point shot. With 4:45 remaining, Felton's three tied the game at 90, while Afflalo hit a trey with 11 seconds left to put the Nuggets up, 102-98. The Jazz's recently acquired Devin Harris hit a three with less than two seconds left to bring the game to its final score (Felton added a free throw for Denver's final point).
Denver held a 58-51 lead at halftime, but 16 points in the third quarter left them down two points, 74-76, entering the final period. However, the Nuggets went to the free throw line 24 times in the fourth quarter, making 15 of them, while the Jazz shot from the line only three times.
Ty Lawson finished with a game-high 23 points, six rebounds and five assists. Nene contributed 13 points, eight rebounds, four steals and three assists. Kenyon Martin, outside of the bad in-bounds pass to end the game, chipped in 11 points eight rebounds and three steals. Chris Andersen added 13 points from off the bench.
For Utah, Al Jefferson scored 19 points, pulled down 10 boards and blocked six shots. Devin Harris added 21 points and a game-high nine assists. C.J. Miles had 22 points off the bench.
The Nuggets (37-26, 11-19 away) head to Los Angeles to face the Clippers on Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. MT.
The Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz are both in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference and the way the NBA is set up you play division foes four times per year. Given that, you would expect the two teams to know each other intimately. Well, a lot has changed since the two teams last met on February 4.
In that 113-106 Jazz victory in Denver, Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups were dressed in powder blue and white while Jerry Sloan was coaching Deron Williams and the Jazz.
After last week's trade deadline, it's now Tyrone Corbin coaching Utah stars Devin Harris and Derrick Favors against new Nuggets Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Timofey Mozgov and Kosta Koufos (Danilo Gallinari won't be available). So while the names on the front of the jerseys are the same, the names on the back aren't.
Both teams are rolling with the flow, though. Utah is 7-1 since their changing of the guard while Denver improved to 4-1 since the blockbuster trade, with a 40-point victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday.
For the Nuggets, the familiar faces have been given new life with the departure of their superstars. In cases where they may have differed to Melo or Chauncey, guys like J.R. Smith, Nene, Ty Lawson and "The Birdman" Chris Andersen now have the green-light to go on their own.
Sometimes players can gain by loss.
Tonight's game tips at 8:30 p.m. MT in front of a national audience on TNT.
(VIDEO) Andrei Kirilenko Misses Game-Tying Layup
Last night's Nuggets-Jazz game ended on a hold-your-breath moment. Leading by two, Kenyon Martin was ready to in-bound the ball (video via @bubbaprog):
That was really close. Immediately after Devin Harris sank a three, Martin gets ready to put the ball back in play, but mishandles it. Whoops. Andrei Kirilenko was all over Martin and stole the ball.
Time for any easy layup to tie the game and go to overti--MISS! Wait, rebound! BUZZER! Nuggets win. Ouch.
Kirilenko walks off the court in anger, while head coach Tyrone Corbin is left wondering what just happened. It's hard to believe that that layup missed.
Mar 04 7:22a by Russ Oates