ducks
11-09-2004, 12:03 AM
Utah 102, Denver 91
Preview - Box Score - Recap
By DOUG ALDEN, AP Sports Writer
November 8, 2004
Photo
AP - Nov 7, 12:20 am EST
More Photos
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Andrei Kirilenko scored 24 points to help the Utah Jazz improve to 4-0 with a 102-91 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night.
Mehmet Okur had his best game since joining Utah with 12 points and nine rebounds, and Raja Bell added 17 points. The Jazz swept the home-and-home series with the Nuggets, who edged Utah for the final playoff spot last season.
Utah has scored at least 100 points in each of the first four games -- the first time since 1995-96, when they topped 100 five straight times during a 4-1 start.
Denver fell to 1-3 after struggling from the floor again. The Nuggets shot 42 percent, their best shooting performance of the young season.
Carmelo Anthony led the Nuggets with 17 points and eight rebounds, scoring 12 points in the final period as the Nuggets tried to come back after falling behind by as much as 22.
Earl Boykins added 13 points and Andre Miller and Greg Buckner scored 11 apiece for Denver.
ADVERTISEMENT
click here
Kirilenko also had five blocks, four assists and four steals and Jarron Collins scored 12 for the Jazz, who continued to shoot better than 50 percent from the floor. Utah was shooting 53 percent entering the game and went 36-for-71 Monday.
Utah led 56-41 at halftime after Keith McLeod hit a running jumper just before the buzzer. The Jazz picked up the pace after the break with an alley-oop from McLeod to Kirilenko during a 7-0 run. Denver didn't get a field goal in the third period until Greg Buckner's three-point play 3:02 into the quarter.
The Nuggets took advantage of some sloppy play in the fourth quarter and slowly chipped away. Boykins hit a short jumper later in the quarter, then found Marcus Camby with a pass underneath for a dunk that cut the margin to 86-76. But Utah answered with a 15-footer from Bell and a layup by Kirilenko with about 5 minutes left.
The Nuggets didn't get closer than 11 again until Bryon Russell's jumper cut it to 98-89 with about 1:20 left.
Notes:@ The Nuggets were just 5-for-18 and were outscored 29-12 in the second quarter. ... Miller, a former All-American at the University of Utah, was the only Nugget who was cheered during introductions. Anthony got around Kirilenko and tried a jumper in the lane, but Kirilenko spun quickly enough to swat the ball away with his left hand and start a break for the Jazz in the first quarter. ... Camby topped that with a block of Okur early in the second, knocking the ball out of bounds.
Updated on Monday, Nov 8, 2004
Preview - Box Score - Recap
By DOUG ALDEN, AP Sports Writer
November 8, 2004
Photo
AP - Nov 7, 12:20 am EST
More Photos
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Andrei Kirilenko scored 24 points to help the Utah Jazz improve to 4-0 with a 102-91 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night.
Mehmet Okur had his best game since joining Utah with 12 points and nine rebounds, and Raja Bell added 17 points. The Jazz swept the home-and-home series with the Nuggets, who edged Utah for the final playoff spot last season.
Utah has scored at least 100 points in each of the first four games -- the first time since 1995-96, when they topped 100 five straight times during a 4-1 start.
Denver fell to 1-3 after struggling from the floor again. The Nuggets shot 42 percent, their best shooting performance of the young season.
Carmelo Anthony led the Nuggets with 17 points and eight rebounds, scoring 12 points in the final period as the Nuggets tried to come back after falling behind by as much as 22.
Earl Boykins added 13 points and Andre Miller and Greg Buckner scored 11 apiece for Denver.
ADVERTISEMENT
click here
Kirilenko also had five blocks, four assists and four steals and Jarron Collins scored 12 for the Jazz, who continued to shoot better than 50 percent from the floor. Utah was shooting 53 percent entering the game and went 36-for-71 Monday.
Utah led 56-41 at halftime after Keith McLeod hit a running jumper just before the buzzer. The Jazz picked up the pace after the break with an alley-oop from McLeod to Kirilenko during a 7-0 run. Denver didn't get a field goal in the third period until Greg Buckner's three-point play 3:02 into the quarter.
The Nuggets took advantage of some sloppy play in the fourth quarter and slowly chipped away. Boykins hit a short jumper later in the quarter, then found Marcus Camby with a pass underneath for a dunk that cut the margin to 86-76. But Utah answered with a 15-footer from Bell and a layup by Kirilenko with about 5 minutes left.
The Nuggets didn't get closer than 11 again until Bryon Russell's jumper cut it to 98-89 with about 1:20 left.
Notes:@ The Nuggets were just 5-for-18 and were outscored 29-12 in the second quarter. ... Miller, a former All-American at the University of Utah, was the only Nugget who was cheered during introductions. Anthony got around Kirilenko and tried a jumper in the lane, but Kirilenko spun quickly enough to swat the ball away with his left hand and start a break for the Jazz in the first quarter. ... Camby topped that with a block of Okur early in the second, knocking the ball out of bounds.
Updated on Monday, Nov 8, 2004