It was an epic battle between the Utah Jazz and the Denver Nuggets in Game 1 of their series in the first round of the playoffs. Who’s to say there won’t be another round of fiery exchanges on the floor in Game 2? You’d better tune in, but first check out our preview of this game below.
What else was there for the Jazz to ask out of Donovan Mitchell in Game 1? Mitchell played his best basketball in his still-young NBA career, exploding for 57 points that all went for naught in a 135-125 overtime loss to the Nuggets last Monday. Mitchell took it upon himself to carry the load for Utah, which was missing Mike Conley due to personal reasons. Conley left the Orlando bubble to attend to the birth of his son, meaning he’s not going to play anytime soon. Juwan Morgan started in place of Conley in Game 1, and while he coughed up just three points in 25 minutes, he was a net positive on the floor, finishing with a plus-21. With that kind of showing, Morgan might just have secured at least another starting gig, but it’s clear that Mitchell also needs more scoring help notwithstanding Rudy Gobert’s 17 points and Joe Ingles, 19.
The Jazz are 4-6 against the spread in their last 10 games.
The Nuggets are 3-3 against the spread in their last six games.The Nuggets could not stop Mitchell, but their duo of Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic was also too much for Utah in Game 1. Murray led Denver with 36 points, including a barrage of timely hits in the clutch. For his part, Jokic produced 29 points to go with 10 rebounds. The Nuggets had their stroke from deep going for them in the series opener, as they went 22 of 31 from deep. Murray and Jokic hit 10 threes together and because they were making their outside shots, it made it easier for them to run their pick-and-roll plays. The Nuggets are taking a more holistic approach on offense, with contributions from up and down the roster for most of their stint down in Orlando, and don’t expect it to change following their success in Game 1. Take for example the pair of Jerian Grant and Monte Morris, who had 19 and 14 points off the bench, respectively.
