The Denver Nuggets four-game homestand is over after a 124-104 massacre of a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night. Then, the Nuggets took the show on the road in a late-night playoff atmosphere type game on ESPN against Northwest division rival, the Utah Jazz.

Prior to Wednesday’s game, the Jazz had beaten Denver seven-straight times in Utah and the Nuggets were looking to exorcise those demons.

Both teams have been scorching hot recently. The Jazz have pushed themselves back into the playoff picture, but against a surging Nuggets squad, wins do not come easy.

By the time the final buzzer had sounded, the Jazz prevailed with a 114-108 chippy victory over Denver and with that, I give you the good, bad and ugly.

Good – The Nuggets show resiliency

The Nuggets came into Wednesday’s game with the second-best record in the Western Conference behind only the Golden State Warriors. Denver is also the only team in the entire NBA that was undefeated in their division with a perfect 6-0 record. They now have suffered their first division loss at the hands of the Jazz.

There were plenty of good things that happened in this game. Denver showcased resiliency on national television as well as both Gary Harris and Will Barton playing like their former selves.

Harris made his long-awaited return to the starting lineup and performed well. He finished with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field and played 27 minutes. Barton also played 29 minutes. He was the Nuggets second-leading scorer with 22 points and nine rebounds.

It was great to see both of Denver’s starters get back into their scoring ways, but the play of the Serbian big man far outweighed anything else in the game.

Jokic stepped up and attempted to carry the team with a monster stat line.

https://twitter.com/nuggets/status/1088301145536135173

Against one of the league’s best defenders with a national audience, Jokic was able to put up an astounding 28 points, 21 rebounds, and six assists. He started slow and then picked it up with a big second half and did not back down. There are no such thing as moral victories, but this was a glimpse at a possible playoff series and Denver’s best player proved that he could carry the load if need be.

Bad — Defending the 3-point line

An ongoing issue for the Nuggets has been their inability to defend the 3-point line.

Earlier in the year, Denver was applauded for their defense. Not only had the Nuggets shown massive progression on that end of the floor, but Denver was defending on the perimeter and closing out on shooters.

In Wednesday’s game; however, it ended up being the biggest difference as Denver was outscored by 33 points from the 3-point line. They also allowed the one person on the Jazz that could hurt them offensively to have a huge game.

Mitchell was the main culprit when it came to punishing the Nuggets from beyond the arc as he finished with 35 points. He also knocked down six triples which left the Nuggets defense scrambled for most of the night.

Utah went 19-46 from beyond the arc and the Nuggets only made eight shots from deep. It seemed as if whenever Denver was ready to make a run and make a push at getting back in the game, they would allow an open shot that Utah made them pay for.

Defending the 3-pointer is about understanding your personnel and Denver allowed sharpshooter Kyle Korver to come into the game and knock down three 3-pointers which had Coach Malone upset after the game.

Denver must defend better and run shooters out of their spots. By staying focused on that end of the floor, Denver will have a better chance at getting back to their winning ways.

Ugly – Possible suspension for Jokic

The two most improbable players in the NBA got ejected from Wednesday’s game as Mason Plumlee and Derrick favors got into it late in the first quarter which led to technical fouls and ejections. Barton and Royce O’Neale were both also assessed a technical foul in the game.

The scuffle came late in the first quarter when Plumlee soared for an offensive rebound. As he tried to go back up for a layup, extracurricular activities took part involving both players and it turned physical. Favors then grabbed Plumlee’s arm which caused the Denver big man to get frustrated and retaliate.

One of the interesting components and one that will surely have future implications is Jokic’s involvement in the incident. Jokic decided to leave the bench to defend Plumlee and was far out on the court. The rules states:

“During an altercation, all players not participating in the game must remain in the immediate vicinity of their bench. Violators will be subject to suspension, without pay, for a minimum of one game and fined up to $50,000.“

Although Jokic was able to finish the game, he could possibly be suspended for one game when the league reviews the play. Jokic does not believe he will be suspended for his involvement in the situation but this is something to look at moving forward.