PLAYOFF-2020 (Game#1, R1): [3]Denver Nuggets vs [6]Utah Jazz (0-0), MON/Aug17, 13:30ET

[THE J0KER]

Denver is a bold favorite IMO, but if we lose this 1st game, the whole series can go crazy. In 2019 playoff we are an arguable better team than Spurs and Blazers, but in both games, weaker opponents take an early break, so we have 7-games series drama.

But last season nobody has playoff experience except Millsap. Utah Jazz is very good team, but they will miss very much Bojan Bogdanovic, their 3rd best player during the regular season. Denver will miss not one but two 2019-20 starters, but with bubble breakthrough of Porter jr into Nuggets already 3rd best player advantage should be clearly in Nuggets favor.

Looking at bubble games, good news for Jazz is Conley constancy and good shape, and Clarkson trade really pay-off for Utah. But apart from MPJ, Nuggets have more reasons to be happy after the restart, thanks to great shape which showed Grant and Morris.

Denver won all 3 games vs Utah so far in 2020, but all three after the big drama, including bubble double-overtime win.

[skywalker33]

I agree the first game of a series is very important but it isn't like there is ANY homecourt advantage. See a lot of the Utah fans seem confident they'll win this series, I have to disagree vehemently. One point that needs to be stressed is you shut down Mitchell you shut down their offense PERIOD.

Go Nuggets !!

[Manolito]

Conley just left the Bubble to assist to his Son's birth.

He is going to miss at least the first two games, maybe even the third.

Without Conley, anything different from 2-0 would be a big surprise. I guess Clarksson will be inserted into starting lineup, his bench will be trash

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[NuggetsWY]

Conley just left the Bubble to assist to his Son's birth.

He is going to miss at least the first two games, maybe even the third.

Without Conley, anything different from 2-0 would be a big surprise. I guess Clarksson will be inserted into starting lineup, his bench will be trash

I believe Barton & Harris missing is not as significant as Bogdanovic & Conley missing.
I believe Denver's bench is better than Utah's.
I believe we will miss Harris against Mitchell - A LOT! Craig needs to make a defensive impact.
I believe we will need consistent contributions from Grant, Millsap, Plumlee, Morris.

I expect Utah to double Jokic using Craig's defender.
I have no doubt we will need Jokic & Murray to lead the team.

I hope Porter takes 20 shots and makes 12-14 of them (no matter where they come from).

[THE J0KER]

Conley just left the Bubble to assist to his Son's birth.

He is going to miss at least the first two games, maybe even the third.

Without Conley, anything different from 2-0 would be a big surprise. I guess Clarksson will be inserted into starting lineup, his bench will be trash

I believe Barton & Harris missing is not as significant as Bogdanovic & Conley missing.
I believe Denver's bench is better than Utah's.
I believe we will miss Harris against Mitchell - A LOT! Craig needs to make a defensive impact.
I believe we will need consistent contributions from Grant, Millsap, Plumlee, Morris.

I expect Utah to double Jokic using Craig's defender.
I have no doubt we will need Jokic & Murray to lead the team.

I hope Porter takes 20 shots and makes 12-14 of them (no matter where they come from).

Utah lost Rubio and Favors in the process to get Conley and Bogdanovic, so without these two they are worse than in 2018 and 2019, while Nuggets should be stronger than ever! There is no excuse if we not take an early 2-0 lead in this series, so this Game-1 is actually a MUST-WIN game for Nuggets.

[skywalker33]

Conley left the bubble for birth of his son (CONGRATS and great timing !), so he’ll miss 2-3 games which should give us a big advantage.

[skywalker33]

Ed Davis just listed as out for the 1st round, sad to hear but makes our path to 2nd round easier.

[Manolito]

Juwan Morgan is the starting PF for Utah.

Only six minutes per game this season. Ingles and Mitchell will be the playmakers and Jazz are going big to put some bodies in the zone and try to collapse Jokic. 3pt shooting will be the key today

[THE J0KER]

We should lead with double-digit lead, but every time we reached 10+ lead we stop.

Big3 doing big3 things, and unexpectedly we are better in 3pt shots in 1st half than Jazz. I hope we will decide this game already in 3rd with some comfortable lead, Utah is not opponent you want to see drama in the 4th.

[babyjax13]

Ed Davis just listed as out for the 1st round, sad to hear but makes our path to 2nd round easier.

Actually, it makes it harder, Ed Davis sucks.

[skywalker33]

Ed Davis just listed as out for the 1st round, sad to hear but makes our path to 2nd round easier.

Actually, it makes it harder, Ed Davis sucks.

Perhaps but we'll go 10-13 deep, you'll be going 7-8 deep, how long can that hold up ???

[skywalker33]

ONE down, 15 to go..

[THE J0KER]

Just like I expected, a routine 10+ win.

Oh wait, it is 10+ overtime win!?

But anyway, I'm still with my claim that we are a much better team right now. If Utah can't win when Mitchell scored almost 60 points they are done with this series.

MPJ was settled for 20-10 type of game on halftime, but he disappears in 2nd half. Jokic has his standard PO game (except in passing), while Murray has a career-best playoff game, which is very encouraging. He was a little bit cold in the 1st and 3rd quarter, but in the rest of the game, Murray was spectacular.

Another player with a career-best playoff game was Monte Morris. He was totally out of the shape last postseason but according to his bubble form, this 6-9 (3pt 2-3) is no surprise for a player with 0-13 for 3pt in 2019 playoff. Jeramy Grant also proved his great bubble form with 19p. He has zero rebounds playing 40 minutes, but many minutes he defended SG Mitchell.

In a bubble seeding game, Nuggets vs Jazz 3pt shooting was 9-37 vs 22-55 with clear Jazz domination, while today Denver is much better 22-41 vs 16-47... but both games go to overtime!?

[manchambo]

Torey Craig has been a really valuable player for this team in the last two playoffs. His defense is solid--not Harris level but solid. And his shooting has been way better than 2019-2020 Harris.

[skywalker33]

Torey Craig has been a really valuable player for this team in the last two playoffs. His defense is solid--not Harris level but solid. And his shooting has been way better than 2019-2020 Harris.

One game doesn't make a season. He did have a decent game but his defense wasn't game changing, note what their back-court scored today ??

[NuggetsWY]

A game of stars
The Jazz had four players in double figures. The Nuggets had six players in double figure scoring - that balance probably made the difference - that and the Jokic-Murray show at the end of the 4th quarter.

Jokic played well -- Gobert played almost as good.
Murray had a very nice game - Mitchell had a great game!

Clarkson played starter minutes off the bench and had a nice game.
Grant & Morris played well off the bench and Plumlee added 6 boards in 10 minutes!

Juwan Morgan is the starting PF for Utah.

Only six minutes per game this season. Ingles and Mitchell will be the playmakers and Jazz are going big to put some bodies in the zone and try to collapse Jokic. 3pt shooting will be the key today

3 point shooting favored Denver

[The Rebel]

Torey Craig has been a really valuable player for this team in the last two playoffs. His defense is solid--not Harris level but solid. And his shooting has been way better than 2019-2020 Harris.

I didn't think he defense was all that great, in fact I though Murray and Morris both did better on defense today and that is saying something.

[The Rebel]

If having Mitchell go off is the only way the Jazz can win than they are in trouble. The defense on him was terrible(outside of Grant oddly), but he was hot as could be as well.

That was the worst game I have seen from MPJ in a long time, hopefully he can get some focus back for the next game. It is his 1st playoff game and he may not have been ready for the intensity, but I expect a lot more from him on both ends than what we got today.

Why does it seem like Clarkson always goes off on us? Like all the way back to his Laker days it feel like he always has a good game against us.

Is Malone back to putting guys to sleep at half time? I think we all thought the last couple of games were because it was meaningless, but this is now 3 games in a row we come out flat after the half.

[psimanic1]

If having Mitchell go off is the only way the Jazz can win than they are in trouble. The defense on him was terrible(outside of Grant oddly), but he was hot as could be as well.

That was the worst game I have seen from MPJ in a long time, hopefully he can get some focus back for the next game. It is his 1st playoff game and he may not have been ready for the intensity, but I expect a lot more from him on both ends than what we got today.

Why does it seem like Clarkson always goes off on us? Like all the way back to his Laker days it feel like he always has a good game against us.

Is Malone back to putting guys to sleep at half time? I think we all thought the last couple of games were because it was meaningless, but this is now 3 games in a row we come out flat after the half.

Not only Clarkson, every streaky shooter goes off on Nuggets and they always did

[skywalker33]

Kinda ironic considering Malone is known for his defense.