Nuggets Look to Extend Home Surge Against Struggling Jazz

Denver has won 5 straight at home and faces Utah, which has lost 8 of 10 and is dealing with several key injuries.

Mar. 27, 2026 at 7:10am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Denver Nuggets have turned things around at home, winning 5 straight games at Ball Arena after a 17-13 start to 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 to players like Isaiah Collier, Lauri Markkanen, and Keyonte George. The Nuggets have the luxury of playing 10 of their final 14 regular season games at home, while the Jazz have fallen to the bottom of the standings.

Why it matters

The Nuggets' recent home success has them in prime position to secure a high playoff seed in the Western Conference, while the Jazz's struggles have them firmly in the NBA Draft lottery picture. This game could have major implications for both teams' postseason aspirations.

The details

The Nuggets have been led by the dynamic duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, who put up historic numbers in their last game against the Mavericks. Murray scored a season-high 53 points, just two shy of his career-high, while Jokic finished with 23 points, 21 rebounds and 19 assists - marking the first time in NBA history that a player scored 50+ while a teammate had at least 15/15/15. Jokic is averaging 27.8 points, 12.8 rebounds and 10.8 assists, while Murray is putting up 25.4 points per game, the most of his career. The Jazz, meanwhile, have been decimated by injuries, with several key players sidelined. Rookie Ace Bailey has taken advantage of the increased playing time, averaging 20.6 points in March after just 13.4 points per game on the season.

  • The Nuggets and Jazz will face off on Friday, March 27, 2026.

The players

Nikola Jokic

The Nuggets' star center is averaging a triple-double this season, putting up 27.8 points, 12.8 rebounds and 10.8 assists per game.

Jamal Murray

Denver's starting point guard is having the best scoring season of his career, averaging 25.4 points per game.

Ace Bailey

The Jazz rookie has taken advantage of increased playing time due to injuries, averaging 20.6 points per game in March.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

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 home dominance and secure a high playoff seed, while the Jazz will hope to get healthy and play spoiler down the stretch.

The takeaway

The Nuggets' recent home success has them in prime position to make a deep playoff run, while the Jazz's injury-plagued season has them looking towards the future. This game could be a preview of a potential first-round playoff matchup between two Western Conference foes heading in opposite directions.