Utah Jazz knocked down, fold to the Nuggets

DENVER — If catching the Denver Nuggets in the NBA's Northwest Division standings really was important to the Jazz — and they claimed beforehand it most definitely was — it sure was tough to tell Sunday night.

Because the Nuggets rolled with ease at the Pepsi Center here, beating Utah 117-97 behind a game-high 28 points from big man Nene and 22 points apiece from starting guards J.R. Smith and Chauncey Billups.

"We were the guys who were knocked down on the floor most of the night," coach Jerry Sloan after his club, which also lost at home to Cleveland on Saturday night, again got out-muscled. "They did a great job knocking us down. You know, you have to (make them) pay for that. You can't sit there and feel sorry for yourself."

But the Jazz did, and as a result they lost on the road for the third straight time and for eighth time in their last nine outings away from EnergySolutions Arena.

They also lost for the third consecutive time overall, and for the fifth time in their last seven games.

They lost for the fifth time in a row against Denver, and for the second time in as many games this season against the 29-15 Nuggets — who both times were playing without All-Star Carmelo Anthony, the first in the 2008-09 season opener for both teams because of a suspension and on this occasion due to his broken right hand.

And, while we're at it, they fell to 1-10 in the second game of back-to-back sets this season.

Much more importantly than all of that, though, is that the loss dropped 25-20 Utah — along with the Nuggets, among nine teams fighting for eight Western Conference playoff berths — to four-and-a-half games behind division-leading Denver.

No wonder Williams suggested he's "really concerned" about what about the big-picture future holds for the Jazz, who face Southwest Division-leading San Antonio at home on Tuesday night.

"You can't afford to lose as many bad games as we have in this West," he said. "You know, everybody is right there together.

"And we had a chance to move up the last two games — and we drop one at home, and then come and drop one by 20 to a division rival."

Even more disconcerting than the final margin was a start that found the Jazz down 35-26 after one quarter and by nine, 60-51, at halftime.

Denver's first bucket coming out of the break was a 3-pointer by Billups, and that gave the Nuggets a double-digit lead they comfortably held the rest of the way.