The Denver Nuggets are soaring to the finish line and look to post their seventh consecutive victory when they visit the Utah Jazz on Wednesday.
The Nuggets (48-28) reside in fourth place in the Western Conference and could clinch their eighth straight playoff berth on their Tuesday night off.
If the Phoenix Suns lose to the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, the Nuggets are in the field. If the Suns beat the Magic, then Denver can clinch its spot by beating the Jazz.
The Nuggets have beaten Utah nine straight times and can finish off a four-game sweep of this season’s series.
Denver defeated the visiting Jazz 135-129 on Friday, but it wasn’t easy. The Nuggets recovered from a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit to nab the victory.
Nikola Jokic had 33 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists and Jamal Murray recorded 31 points and 14 assists for the Nuggets. Kyle Filipowski scored 25 points and Cody Williams added 24 for Utah.
The Nuggets used a strong second half on Sunday to rout the visiting Golden State Warriors 116-93. Denver outscored the Warriors 70-40 in the second half to erase a seven-point halftime deficit.
Jokic had 25 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists to lead six players in double digits.
Denver coach David Adelman was concerned afterward about a shortage of healthy forwards. Forward Aaron Gordon (left calf) missed the contest and Cameron Johnson (back), Spencer Jones (right hamstring) and Zeke Nnaji (left hip) were injured during the contest.
Gordon is listed as probable for Wednesday and Johnson is set to play, but Jones and Nnaji have been ruled out.
“It’s just been so funny that this year has been like that,” Adelman said of injuries wiping out a position. “It’s never a guard and a forward, or a guard and a center. It’s like, it’s just the whole (position) group goes out.”
Utah (21-55) is winding down its third straight 50-loss campaign. If the Jazz lose five of their last six games, they will be saddled with a second straight 60-loss season — the first such seasons in franchise history.
Utah has dropped six straight games and 18 of 21, leaving the club more focused on development than results.
Williams, a second-year pro, has topped 20 points in five of the past eight games, including 26 points in Monday’s 122-113 home loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Williams also had a 34-point effort against the Sacramento Kings on March 15.
Williams shoots 47.9% from the field despite a lowly 22.5% connection rate from the 3-point line. He has focused more on two-point shots lately.
“Cody is not bombing away from 3, and it’s helped him,” Utah coach Will Hardy said. ” … Cody works on his 3-point shooting but this year, we’ve seen him become a far more forceful driver and a better runner in transition.”
Filipowski, another second-year pro, has averaged 23.7 points and 9.0 rebounds over the past three games. He is 28 of 43 (65.1%) from the field during the stretch and 7 of 15 from behind the arc.
“With Kyle, it’s always going to be about the mixture,” Hardy said. “We can overcorrect and go too far, and if he starts shooting too many (3-point attempts), then we’re taking away those other things. But the threat of his 3-point shooting will open up a lot of his other assets.”
