Jazz stun Nuggets in season opener
The Utah Jazz kicked off their season with a surprising 109-97 victory over the Denver Nuggets, leveraging a balanced team effort to upset expectations.
Utah held an 11-point lead at halftime (52-63) and carried that same advantage into the fourth quarter (77-88), ultimately sealing the win.
Despite a significant contribution from their bench, which accounted for 60 points, the Nuggets struggled against the Jazz's efficiency. Utah shot 33% from three-point range (15-of-45) and outrebounded Denver 54-46, with their biggest surge coming in the first quarter where they outscored the Nuggets by 10 points (26-36).
Blake Hinson, coming off the bench, led the Jazz with 14 points and 6 rebounds, complemented by Keyonte George's 15 points. For the Nuggets, Nikola Jokic dished out 7 assists in limited minutes, though he only scored 3 points. Tyus Jones also added 6 assists.
This opening night win places both the Jazz and Nuggets at 0-1 in the Western Conference standings.