Utah's reserves were able to do what the starters couldn't for the first 12 minutes; get inside and score on the Denver Nuggets. Paul "The Paper Boy" Millsap led a surge early in the second quarter that got Utah back into Game 3 after a disastrous start, then the Jazz took control of the game and their Western Conference playoff series with a 105-93 victory Friday night to take a 2-1 series lead. Millsap finished with career highs of 22 points and 19 rebounds. Millsap's 18 points in the second quarter gave the Jazz a chance to recover after Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams struggled early. Once Williams and Boozer got going, the Nuggets never recovered in their first road playoff game of the series.
Utah limited Denver's Carmelo Anthony to 25 points and flustered him into five fouls. He also had just four free throw attempts after taking 19 while scoring a combined 74 points in the series' first two games. Anthony and Chauncey Billups, who also scored 25 points, were the only Denver players to score in double figures. Williams finished with a double-double of his own with 24 points and 10 assists and Boozer added 18 points despite missing his first five shots. Wesley Matthews added 14 points and helped pester Anthony into foul trouble for the second straight game and C.J. Miles added 10 points for Utah.
Denver shut down Utah inside through the first quarter, forcing the Jazz into outside shots that usually missed and bounced right to one of the Nuggets, who led by as many as 11 points. Millsap ended that trend with two quick layups and a dunk as the Jazz opened the second quarter on an 8-2 run. He made his first nine shots and finished 11 of 14 from the field for Utah. The Jazz outscored Denver 31-21 in the second quarter, then topped that with 32 points in the third while holding the flustered Nuggets to just 20. Denver's woes slowly built throughout the quarter as the Jazz quickly pounced to stop any rallies, then the Nuggets really lost their composure at the end of the period. Matthews took a high elbow while defending Melo with 1:05 left in the third, sending Denver's frustrated superstar to the bench with his fifth foul. Melo, who had four offensive fouls and fouled out in Game 2, was stuck watching as the Jazz took an 84-68 lead into the fourth quarter and continued surging early in the final period. Utah's lead reached 23 points and even Anthony, who scored 42 in the series opener, couldn't rescue Denver when he returned in the fourth. Game 4 is Sunday in Utah, where the Nuggets will need to win to avoid falling behind the short-handed Jazz 3-1.
Peace and Much Love To Ya :)
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