National Basketball Association

3 Takeaways From Jazz-Nuggets – Game 2

Updated Aug. 19, 2020 7:38 p.m. ET

After being on the wrong end of an instant classic in Game 1, the Utah Jazz aveneged their Monday loss with a 124-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 to even their first round series at 1-1.

Here are the key takeaways from Game 2 of this Western Conference first round matchup.

1. Donovan Mitchell doesn't let up

After scoring 57 points in Game 1, Mitchell followed it up with another dominant performance in Game 2, recording 30 points and 8 assists while shooting 10-for-14 from the field and 6-for-7 from three-point range.

Mitchell did the majority of his damage in the third quarter, where he scored 21 points and helped build a 30-point lead for the Jazz at one point.

However, the Jazz haven't always found success when Mitchell fills up the scoring column. Utah is now 12-10 on the season when Mitchell scores 30 or more.

Utah is actually better this season when Mitchell plays the role of facilitator, posting a 16-5 mark when Spida dishes out 6 or more assists.

2. The Jazz catch fire from three

The Jazz led the NBA in three-point percentage this season, and it showed on Wednesday.

The Jazz shot 20-for-44 from beyond the arc, compared to 13-for-27 for Denver, which helped Utah blow open the lead heading into the fourth quarter, when they maintained a 27-point lead.

Through three quarters, Utah connected on 17 threes, including 10 in the third quarter.

Four different Jazz players made at least three threes, and through two games, Utah is averaging 18 made three-pointers per game while shooting 39.5% from deep.

3. Denver's defense disappoints

While the Jazz and Mitchell have been dominant offensively, the Nuggets defense has been below its regular season standards so far this series.

The Nuggets are allowing 124.5 points through two games, 15.3 points higher than their regular season average of 109.2.

The Nuggets' offense has been as good as advertised so far this series, averaging 120 points per game, but the shootout method proved to be a dangerous approach once the Jazz got hot on Wednesday.