Nuggets Look to Extend Home Surge Against Struggling Jazz

Denver has won 5 straight at home as they host Utah, who are missing key players due to injuries.

Mar. 27, 2026 at 1:45am

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The Denver Nuggets have turned things around at home, winning 5 straight games at Ball Arena after struggling there for much of the season. They'll look to make it 6 in a row when they host the struggling Utah Jazz, who have lost 8 of their last 10 games and are dealing with several key injuries. Denver is led by the dynamic duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, who put up historic numbers in their last game. The Jazz, meanwhile, have given more playing time to rookie Ace Bailey, who has impressed with his scoring and defense.

Why it matters

This game is important for both teams as they head into the final stretch of the regular season. The Nuggets are looking to solidify their position in the Western Conference playoff race, while the Jazz are playing for lottery positioning after a disappointing season. Denver's strong home play could give them an advantage, but Utah's young players will be fighting to pull off the upset.

The details

The Nuggets have won 5 straight at home after a 17-13 start at Ball Arena this season. They'll look to make it 6 in a row against the struggling Jazz, who have lost 8 of their last 10 games. Denver is led by the duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, who put up historic numbers in their last game - Murray scored 53 points, while Jokic had 23 points, 21 rebounds and 19 assists. The Jazz, meanwhile, are missing several key players due to injury, including Isaiah Collier, Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George. This has opened up more playing time for rookie Ace Bailey, who has impressed with his scoring and defense.

  • The Nuggets and Jazz will face off on Friday night in Denver.
  • The Nuggets have 10 of their final 14 regular season games at home.

The players

Nikola Jokic

The Nuggets' star center is averaging 27.8 points, 12.8 rebounds and 10.8 assists per game this season.

Jamal Murray

The Nuggets' star guard is putting up 25.4 points per game, the most in his career.

Ace Bailey

The Jazz rookie has impressed with his scoring and defense, averaging 20.6 points per game in March.

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What they’re saying

“The nice thing about being home is you can get yourself in a routine. It's a big advantage to have a routine in anything in life but to win basketball games and get back in that rhythm is so important.”

— David Adelman, Head Coach, Denver Nuggets

“It's harder to discuss an individual's defense in these settings because there are fewer things you can really measure. I truly believe that he's grown more on the defensive side of the ball than he has offensively, but offense is so much easier to talk about. He's moving towards a two-way player. He's not there yet, but that's the goal.”

— Will Hardy, Head Coach, Utah Jazz

What’s next

The Nuggets will look to continue their strong home play and solidify their playoff positioning, while the Jazz will try to pull off the upset and gain ground in the lottery race.

The takeaway

This game showcases the contrasting fortunes of the two teams - the Nuggets are surging at home and looking to cement their place in the postseason, while the injury-ravaged Jazz are playing for lottery positioning. Denver's home-court advantage and star power could be too much for Utah to overcome.