3 takeaways from the Utah Jazz’s double-overtime loss to the Denver Nuggets

SALT LAKE CITY — Despite jaw-dropping late-game heroics by Donovan Mitchell, the Utah Jazz fell to Denver Nuggets 134-132 in double-overtime Saturday, their second loss in as many days.

Here are three takeaways from the Jazz’s latest setback:

• The Jazz played arguably their best basketball of the NBA restart, thus far, in the first quarter against the Nuggets. Effort, energy, whatever you want to call it, it was there for the Jazz, who ran out to a 29-15 advantage. Utah was particularly effective from behind the arc, with five players — Jordan Clarkson, Joe Ingles, Royce O’Neale, Mike Conley and Georges Niang — connecting on 3-point attempts. As a team, the Jazz shot 5 of 11 from 3-point range — 46% — in the opening period. 

• Center Rudy Gobert was a standout in the first quarter too — he led the team with 8 points and five rebounds — and his strong play continued throughout most of the game. Gobert finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds before fouling out. As good as he was early, it was a real struggle in the second half for Gobert, particularly in the fourth quarter, and the Jazz went as he did. Utah surrendered an 18-point lead in the second half and at the end of regulation needed multiple clutch game-saving baskets from Mitchell to send the game to overtime and then another overtime period.

• Despite the best efforts of Mitchell — he scored a game-high 35 points in total — the Jazz ultimately came up short, undone by the depth of the Nuggets. Denver had six players score in double-figures, led by Nikola Jokic with 30 points. Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. chipped in 23 points apiece, while Jerami Grant scored 21 off the bench, the most of any reserve (Jordan Clarkson had 19 off the bench for Utah).

Up next: Monday, Aug. 10 vs. Dallas Mavericks at 1 p.m. MDT

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