The Utah Jazz (40-40) earned a much-needed 100-84 win over the Denver Nuggets (33-48) on Sunday. Utah now holds a full game lead over Houston for eighth in the Western Conference.
Utah finished out the third quarter on a massive 24-0 run, helping to establish a double-digit lead over the struggling Nuggets. Center Rudy Gobert was seemingly unmovable on the defensive end, blocking six shots and pulling down 14 rebounds. Forward Gordan Hayward, meanwhile, led the offensive push with 22 points. Rookie Trey Lyles also chipped in 22. The Jazz were able to snap an ill-timed two-game slide with the big win, potentially securing a spot in the postseason after Sunday.
Denver, meanwhile, had its playoff hopes dashed weeks ago and currently sits well below .500. Denver's big men could seemingly do nothing to stop the Stiffle Tower, as Gobert proved to be an absolute nightmare for the Nuggets. Denver was outrebounded 49-41 and also hit just six three-pointers to Utah's 12. Rookies Nikola Jokic and Emmanuel Mudiay tied for the team lead in points with 19.
Utah will face Dallas on Monday in a matchup with major playoff implications.
