SLIDESHOW: Utah Jazz vs. Denver Nuggets NBA basketball
SALT LAKE CITY -- Eight straight.
Facing their chief nemesis in the Northwest Division, the Jazz exacted a small measure of revenge Saturday night at EnergySolutions Arena as they outlasted the Denver Nuggets 116-106.
Having already lost three times to the division leaders, Utah (31-18) seemed determined to take the fourth and final regular-season meeting of the two teams.
The Jazz built an 18-point lead shortly after halftime, then held on for the win after Denver (34-17) got within 3 early in the fourth quarter.
Their current winning streak now stands at eight in a row and 10 straight on their home floor.
"We're not playing consistently all game, but for the most part of the game we're keeping that concentration," forward Andrei Kirilenko said. "We keep playing disciplined defensively and offensively and this is really, good quality basketball."
Kirilenko and Deron Williams scored 22 points apiece for the Jazz. Carlos Boozer, playing for the first time since missing three games with a strained calf muscle, added 19 points, 13 rebounds and a blocked shot.
The Nuggets, who beat the Los Angeles Lakers Friday night in L.A., went without starters Chauncey Billups (right ankle sprain) and Carmelo Anthony (left ankle sprain).
Normally the loss of those two might spell certain doom for the Nuggets. However, in January they rode into the ESA under the same circumstances and still managed to earn a 105-95 win.
This time, the Jazz didn't let them get away.
Denver shot 45 percent from the field and committed 20 turnovers from which the Jazz scored 22 points.
Utah, meanwhile, got off to a solid start by hitting 67 percent from the field. For the game, the Jazz shot 49 percent.
The were aided by strong bench play. Reserve Paul Millsap, who started while Boozer was hurt, responded with 16 points. Wesley Matthews added 12.
The Jazz, who own third place in the Western Conference standings, now trail the Nuggets by two games in the division standings.
Even so, coach Jerry Sloan wasn't cutting his team any slack.
"You look out there and see they don't have Billups and they don't have Carmelo Anthony, so we should've won real easily probably," he said. "But they beat us here without those two guys last time we played them and that shows how strong their team is."
Playing in place of Billups, rookie guard Ty Lawson scored a game-high 25 points, while J.R. Smith added 19 points off the bench for the Nuggets.
Kenyon Martin had 16 and 13 rebounds.
After a somewhat slugging start, the Jazz settled in midway through the first quarter.
They took their first lead at 10-9 off an Andrei Kirilenko basket, then went on an 8-2.
They hit 67 percent from the field in the first quarter and had 10 assists on 14 made baskets.
Utah increased its lead to 17 points in the second period before the Nuggets rallied. They cut it to 52-45 with more than six minutes remaining before halftime.
The Jazz went into the break leading 66-55.
Millsap led the way with 15 points; Williams had 12.
Martin had 16 points and eight boards for Denver.
GAME 49 Jazz 116, Nuggets 106
* BEST PLAY: Midway through the second quarter, Ronnie Price gets the ball on the fastbreak. He fires a pass to Wesley Matthews, who drives but misses the layup. Price swoops in, grabs the miss and throws down a follow-up dunk. It gives Utah a 51-34 lead.
* BEST LINE: Andrei Kirilenko finishes 8-for-11 from the field with 22 points, five steals, four rebounds, three assists and a blocked shot.
* KEY STAT: The Nuggets commit 20 turnovers, from which the Jazz score 22 points.
* SIDELINE MOMENT: With Carlos Boozer back in the lineup after a three-game absence, Paul Millsap moves back to the bench. When Mehmet Okur gets in foul trouble early on, Millsap enters the game to a rousing ovation.
* INJURY REPORT: Boozer (right calf strain) was listed as a gametime decision. He started at played 33 minutes and scored 19 points. ... For the Nuggets, Chauncey Billups (right ankle sprain) was a late scratch. Billups sustained the injury in the third-quarter of Friday's game with the Los Angeles Lakers. ... Carmelo Anthony (left ankle sprain) was listed as questionable, but did not play.
* ETC.: At Saturday morning's shoot-around, Boozer said, if asked, he would gladly represent the Western Conference in next weekend's All-Star game. With Portland's Brandon Roy (hamstring) pulling out, Boozer is an obvious replacement possibility. ... Kyle Korver did not play in the game. It marked the second time in three games the shooter was kept on the bench. ... The Jazz scored a season-high 66 points in the first half.
* UP NEXT: The Jazz have a light schedule next week before the All-Star break. They travel to play the L.A. Clippers on Tuesday, then come back to play host to the L.A. Lakers on Wednesday.
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