Jamal Murray scored 45 points to carry the scoring load on Monday night as the Nuggets beat the short-handed Jazz, 128-125. While Murray was enjoying a delightfully efficient evening, teammate Nikola Jokić was in a tiny jail as Utah threw various smaller defenders at him and spent most of the game under his nose and skin.
With Jaren Jackson Jr., Lauri Markkanen, Kevin Love, Jusuf Nurkić and Walker Kessler all watching the game in street clothes for various reasons, Jazz coach Will Hardy had guys like 6'4" Keyonte George, 6'3" Elijah Harkless and 6'5" John Konchar trying to guard the three-time MVP. With the size disadvantage, the referees allowed the Jazz to get extra physical, which in turn made Jokić flail and exaggerate contact as he tried to convince them to blow the whistle.
