Nuggets-Jazz Game Three: Nuggets Don't Hold Up to Lie Detector

The Utah Jazz’s 105-93 Game Three victory over the Denver Nuggets was revealing in the truths unveiled by each participant with one caveat—the 12-point difference in the final score was an untruth in that Utah was much more dominant than the Nuggets after the game’s initial 10 minutes.


Truth: Paul Millsap eviscerated the Denver Nuggets

Reason: Because Utah had so much success running screen/fades with Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer in Game Two, Denver had to tweak their defense for Game Three with Denver trapping Williams’ high screen/rolls and keeping a body near Boozer along the perimeter. As a result, Millsap was often able to duck in or work the baseline against single coverage.


Truth: Utah’s execution generated innumerable open looks at the basket.

Reason: Paul Millsap took it right at Chris Andersen and Kenyon Martin with maximum success, while Kyrylo Fesenko was on the finishing end of several interior dunks and layups. This isn’t any kind of surprise. Kenyon Martin is a dog who tucks his tail between his legs when an opponent barks back, and Chris Andersen’s flimsy defense is useless against Utah’s muscle men.


Truth: Deron Williams made Ty Lawson his personal whipping boy.

Reason: Lawson is too puny to contend with Williams in the post or in a broken field, too weak to stay on Williams’ hip around screens, and too short to contest his jumpers.


Truth: Only Chauncey Billups or well-coordinated help can slow down Williams.

Reason: Williams outmuscled Aaron Afflalo into constant foul trouble, and J.R. Smith would be mesmerized by Williams’ hypnotic crossover.


Truth: Weak side curls involving Kyle Korver always generated a good look in the first half, either for Korver himself, or for the screen-setter rotating to the basket.

Reason: Smith too frequently lost contact with Korver, and Denver’s interior rotations were late, faulty, or non-existent. Plus, credit Korver for his passing and decision making.

Truth: Utah generated 27 assists on their 39 baskets.

Reason: Utah seldom relies on isos, and their myriad of screens, cuts, rolls, and fades puts enormous pressure on a defense to be aware defensively. Too bad for Denver, the Nuggets’ frontcourt played in a coma.


Truth: Wesley Matthews made Denver pay for leaving him open.

Reason: Matthews is a solid defender and a much better shooter than the departed Ronnie Brewer. Matthews’ shooting provides more spacing for Utah to execute.


Truth: Carlos Boozer only scored 18 points on 6-18 FG.

Reason: Nene and Martin are quick enough to negate Boozer in the post, and the Nuggets kept a defender close to Boozer on the perimeter to take away his jumper. In truth, Boozer was little more than a fadeaway jump  shooter, and has been effective for only one of the six halves played in the series.


Truth: Carmelo Anthony had a relatively tame performance—11-21 FG, 3-4 FT, 25 PTS.

Reason: Because Carmelo Anthony picked up so many offensive fouls in Game Two, he was more timid to attack the basket in Game Three, settling for outside jump shots.

While ‘Melo was far too big and strong for Matthews and C.J. Miles, Utah mixed its defensive coverages up on Anthony—straight up single teams, a big man sliding into the strong side box, a double on the move coming from the weak side, and multiple defenders checking him, including Williams.

As the game wore on, Melo grew increasingly impatient with how the game was playing out, and picked up three turnovers in a disastrous third quarter.


Truth: Denver got nothing out of its frontcourt.

Reason: Nene and Martin mentally checked out of the game when Paul Millsap checked in, and Andersen’s disappearing act against a disciplined, physical opponent is simply par for the course.


Truth: The Nuggets were beaten back in transition time and again—even after made baskets.

Reason: Denver too easily loses focus of the task at hand, and awards opponents too many gifts.


Truth: Smith was nowhere to be found.

Reason: With the exception of Kyle Korver losing touch of Smith on an early three, the Jazz made sure not to help off of Smith, or to rotate back on to him if helping off of him. Also, screens involving Smith were hedged preventing Smith from finding open looks. Without a feast of open threes to fuel his fire, Smith was a non-factor.


Truth: Lawson was repeatedly able to get to the basket against Williams.

Reason: Lawson is far too fleet for Williams to handle. Since substituting eliminates the matchup advantage Williams has when he possesses the ball, Utah needs to be more cognizant in walling off the paint in early offense to prevent Lawson’s speedy drives.

Truth: Denver only recorded 12 assists on 31 baskets.

Reason: Denver is very much an isolation offense that relies on the prodigious one-on-one abilities of many of their players. This is fine over the regular season when teams have limited scouting time to prepare for Denver’s explosive talent. This was also the case in Game One.

However, as series move on, coaches and players begin to get more and more familiar with what a player likes and doesn’t like to do, and what a team does and doesn’t do well and can gameplan accordingly.

Already the subtle adjustments of not leaving Smith, varying coverages on Melo, and digging in on isolations have paid off for the Jazz.


Truth: Denver didn’t receive any favors from the referees.

Reason: The Jazz always get the benefit of calls or non-calls on their home arena. On a subtler level, teams that execute, and are aggressive are much more likely to get the benefit of calls than teams that are passive and reactionary.


Truth: The Nuggets don’t believe in themselves.

Reason: Dantley doesn’t have the charisma or personality to impress such a volatile collection of players. As the second half wore on, the Nuggets were disinterested in the game, and only interested in moping on the sideline.


Truth: Utah is much crisper without Mehmet Okur

Reason: Okur is a plodder who is too slow to provide any impact defensively. Fesenko is just as cumbersome, but he’s enormous and takes up more space. Millsap is strong, athletic, and covers more ground as a helper. Plus, both Millsap and Fesenko are better finishers under the basket than Okur.


Truth: Despite not playing without Okur, Andrei Kirilenko, or home court advantage, the Jazz are leading the series two games to one.

Reason: You’ll never find a Jerry Sloan-coached team feeling sorry for itself or playing without heart.

Truth: The series is nowhere close to being over.

Reason: Despite being down two games to one, the Nuggets have the better collection of individual players than the Jazz by a wide margin. A few adjustments here and then, and a gutsier performance by more players and the Nuggets will have recaptured the magic.

However, if Denver can’t break its bad habits, the supposed truth that the Nuggets were the biggest threat to the Lakers out West will be exposed as a blatant lie.