The Denver Nuggets lost to the Utah Jazz, 113-106, on Friday night. Nene tied his career-best scoring mark with 28 points in the loss.
This game was marked early by the Nuggets' inability to make a basket from the field. However, the team made 13 trips to the free throw line in the first quarter. Carmelo Anthony had a game-high 31 points, but shot only 7-of-21 from the field. He was 17-of-18 from the line, though.
For his 28 points, Nene was 10-of-12 from the field and 8-of-8 from the line. He pulled down five boards and blocked three shots. Arron Afflalo contributed 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Deron Williams returned from injury to the Jazz's lineup and finished the game with 26 points and 12 assists. However, he was just 9-of-23 shooting, 2-of-10 from the beyond the arc. Al Jefferson also had a double-double, finishing the game with 28 points and 10 rebounds.
This game became rowdy in the fourth quarter when J.R. Smith received a flagrant 2 foul for basically hitting Raja Bell. The teams converged for a minor tussle, which eventually resulted in both teams taking foul shots. Smith was ejected from the game.
The Nuggets (29-21, 21-6 home) visit the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night. The game tips at 6:30 p.m MT.