First Quarter Woes Doom Utah Jazz In Loss To Nuggets

DENVER — The Utah Jazz went down by double-digits early and were unable to make a threatening comeback against the Denver Nuggets on Monday.

Lauri Markkanen led the way for Utah with 27 points and eight rebounds. Keyonte George continued his streak of consistency with 20 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists.

The 135-112 result makes it three straight losses for the Jazz. It is the fourth streak of three or more losses this season.

back home tomorrow ✈️#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/wLz6Smpr7y

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) December 23, 2025

Slow Start Puts Jazz In Insurmountable Hole

Although the final score paints a blowout loss for the Jazz, it doesn’t quite tell the full story.

From the second to the fourth quarter, Utah actually outscored Denver 97-95. But a lights-out 40-15 first quarter from the Nuggets put the Jazz behind the 8-ball from the jump.

While Utah missed all of its first 10 shot attempts, Denver shot a blistering 9/12 and went up 19-0 in the opening minutes. By the end of the 12 minutes, the Nuggets shot 68.2 percent from the floor and 64.3 percent from downtown. Utah shot 19.4 percent from the field and 14.3 percent from three.

Staying competitive for the following three quarters was a great sign for the young Jazz team. However, it’s worth mentioning that Nikola Jokic played all 12 minutes in the first quarter and picked up just 17 more across the final three.

Nine minutes into the first quarter, Markkanen ends the drought for the starters. Keyonte George then follows suit. https://t.co/XUoJSdfgd4

— Chandler Holt (@CHoltSports) December 23, 2025

Utah’s Duo Continues Early Season Tear

Once again, Markkanen and George’s production shone brighter than the rest of the roster.

Markkanen’s production was never really a question, even with a down year statistically last season. But George has stepped up as a clear No. 2, or even No. 1, option on the team.

Before tonight’s matchup, both players had scored 20 in the same game eight times this season. Utah was 8-0 in such games. That streak was broken as Markkanen dropped 27 and George just barely etched the 20-point threshold.

Even though the Jazz find themselves near the bottom of the standings, both players have put their names in the hat for All-Star conversations. If both players make the cut in the new USA vs. World format, it would be the first time since the 2021-2022 season that the franchise sent two players to the ASG.

The Jazz were previously 8-0 when both Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George scored 20+.

Looking like it will be 8-1 after tonight.

— Chandler Holt (@CHoltSports) December 23, 2025

Brice Sensabaugh Provides Spark Off Bench

After the extremely rough start to the first quarter, Sensabaugh was one of three players in the first group of substitutions.

He immediately ended Utah’s drought with a triple, added a dunk right after, and ended the night with 14 points and six rebounds.

Sensabaugh was the only player off the bench to score in double figures, and one of two Jazz players to reach that mark in under 25 minutes on the court. The other was rookie Ace Bailey, who made his 19th straight start on Monday.

momentum for the fourth 🥶 pic.twitter.com/dL2GQSyDq9

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) December 23, 2025

Jazz vs. Nuggets Quick-Hits

• If you remove the ice-cold first quarter, Utah shot about 54 percent from the floor and 44 percent from three. With the 1Q added, they shot 43 percent and 34 percent.
• For much of the game, Utah put a forward on Nikola Jokic and let the five-man roam the paint. The defensive strategy resulted in fewer shots taken, but not necessarily less of an impact. The MVP-candidate finished with 14 points (5/7 shooting), 13 rebounds, and 13 assists.
• The Monday game at Ball Arena marked the fourth time this season Utah has trailed by 20 or more points at the conclusion of the first quarter.

Chandler Holt is a co-host of the Jazz Notes podcast, a Locals In The NFL Insider, and Digital Sports Producer for sports.ksl.com. Follow Chandler on X for Utah Jazz and Locals In The NFL updates.

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