The host Denver Nuggets beat the Utah Jazz on Tuesday, 103 - 93. Denver (19 - 25) has now won four in a row at home and has become one of the hottest teams in the West, due largely to the emergence of sophomore Nikola Jokic. The 21 - year - old center has been dominant since the start of the new year, and was effective once again on Tuesday despite Utah's tough defensive frontcourt. Jokic scored 23 points and pulled down 11 rebounds and made a surprising impact on defense with two steals and three blocks. The young star's scoring touch and elite passing was the backbone of a strong offensive effort for Denver. The team scored a combined 62 in the second and third quarter and finished the night shooting over 46 percent while dishing out 28 assists. Utah (29 - 18), on the other hand, was not quite as hot on the offensive end. In particular, Gordon Hayward and George Hill, who typically form the crux of the Jazz offense, both struggled from the field. Hayward scored only nine points, while Hill went just 6 - of - 18 from the field. What was reassuring for Utah, however, was that forward Derrick Favors produced a strong performance. Favors, who has seen his season plagued by injuries thus far, led the Jazz with 18 points on 8 - of - 11 shooting and was responsible for a handful of key plays on defense. That said, Tuesday's outing was likely one that Utah will be eager to forget; the Jazz shot just 41 percent from the field as a team and were out - rebounded. The Nuggets will host the Suns on Thursday, while the Jazz will host the Lakers.
["PlayerStat(G,'Gordon Hayward') has 9 Blocks ."
 "PlayerStat(G,'Derrick Favors') has 11 Blocks ,has 8 3-pointers attempted ,has 18 Field goals attempted ."
 "PlayerStat(G,'George Hill') has 18 Blocks ,has 6 3-pointers attempted ."
 "PlayerStat(G,'Nikola Jokic') has 3 Blocks ,has 4 3-pointers attempted ,has 23 Field goals attempted ,has 11 Field goals made ,has 2 Points ,has 4 Total rebounds ."]