March 1, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Jamal Murray (27) is guarded during a timeout in the second half of the Denver Nuggets’ game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Image Keyonte George’s return to the starting lineup has had a positive impact for the Utah Jazz heading into Monday’s game against the Denver Nuggets in Salt Lake City.
George returned in Saturday’s 115-105 loss to New Orleans after missing a total of nine games with two ankle injuries. He played just 23 minutes and scored 17 points on 4-of-11 shooting. Still, just having him playing basketball again would be a good thing for an injury-plagued Jazz team that has played without a number of its offensive stars in recent games.
Even though his shooting wasn’t up to his preferred standards, George said his ankle felt healthy and strong.
“I think my dad was there. I didn’t want to force anything,” George told the Salt Lake Tribune after the game. “I just wanted to play the game. I think I did a decent job tonight.”
George played several minutes against New Orleans. He will continue to take a cautious approach against Denver.
Keeping George healthy is a concern for an undermanned Utah team. After the NBA trade deadline, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jusuf Nurkic both underwent season-ending surgery. Vince Williams Jr. is out for the season due to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. Lauri Markkanen will be out for at least two weeks after suffering a hip injury in practice.
“It doesn’t matter to me if I make or miss a shot,” Jazz coach Will Hardy told the Salt Lake Tribune. “I just want to see him push himself physically and competitively.”
Injured star Aaron Gordon could return to Denver when the Nuggets face Utah. Gordon has missed 15 straight games with a hamstring injury and did not play in Denver’s 117-108 loss to Minnesota on Sunday. He has played in only 23 games this season due to injury and is expected to return to the court this week.
Gordon’s presence could provide a boost for the Nuggets, who have lost two straight games and have one win in their last four on the road.
Jokic narrowly avoided joining Oklahoma City guard Lou Dort after tripping him while jogging on the court Friday. Dort and Jokic had a brief altercation before Dort committed two fouls and was ejected.
“It’s an unnecessary move and a necessary response,” Jokic told the Denver Post on Friday. “There is no such thing. I don’t think there should be anything like that on a basketball court. So it was just an unnecessary move (by Dort) and a necessary reaction for me.”
Jokic showed no ill effects from the fall during Sunday’s game against the Timberwolves.
The former NBA MVP scored 35 points on 15-of-26 shooting, 13 rebounds, nine assists and two blocks. He has scored at least 30 points in four of his last five games and had 12 or more rebounds in four straight games.
Denver and Utah met once before this season, with the Nuggets winning 135-112 after scoring the first 19 points of the game.
–Field level media
