Jazz vs Nuggets 1980s Division Rivalry

Lore & Background

Prior to joining the NBA, the Denver Nuggets were an ABA franchise from 1967–1976, and joining them in the league was the Utah Stars, a franchise that started as the Anaheim Amigos then renamed themselves the Los Angeles Stars, before moving to Utah in 1970. In the ABA, the two franchises formed a rivalry due to their proximity. The Nuggets won ABA championships in 1970 and 1975, while the Stars won in 1971. The two teams played each other in the 1974 ABA playoffs, a series the Nuggets won in six games. Professional basketball returned to Salt Lake City when the New Orleans Jazz of the NBA relocated there in 1979. The first playoff meeting was in 1984, won by the Jazz in five games. The second playoff meeting was in 1985, a Nuggets rout won in five games. The third playoff meeting was in 1994, won by the Jazz in seven games. The fourth playoff meeting was in 2020, won by the Nuggets in seven games after coming back from a 3–1 deficit.

Reader's Guide

The Jazz and Nuggets first met in the NBA playoffs in 1984. The Jazz won Game 1 despite a furious Nuggets' comeback attempt. Game 2 saw Denver tie the series, with three 30-plus-point games from Dan Issel (33 pts), Kiki VanDeWeghe (32), and Alex English (31). Denver won Game 3. Utah's Adrian Dantley scored 39 points in Game 4 as the Jazz saved off elimination. Utah won Game 5, 127-111, never trailing after a 41 point first quarter. Utah's Rickey Green played all but four minutes and hauled 16 rebounds and had 29 points. Dantley added 30 points and also had 12 rebounds. In 1985, the Nuggets won the series 4 games to 1. The highlight was a Game 2 overtime win by Denver and a 40-point performance from Alex English in Game 5. In 1994, the Nuggets lost the first three games to the Jazz, then won the next three, but lost Game 7 to the Jazz, 91–81. In 2020, the Jazz raced off to a 3–1 lead; this included a Game 1 overtime win for the Nuggets. In Game 4, Murray and Mitchell each had 50 and 51 points, respectively—the first playoff game in NBA history in which two players scored 50 points. The Nuggets won Game 5 and Game 6. Game 7 was a defensive battle; Nikola Jokić scored the go-ahead hook shot with 27.8 seconds remaining. Mike Conley Jr.'s potential series-winning three-pointer at the buzzer rimmed out.

Did You Know?

• In the 2020 playoff series, Donovan Mitchell and Jamal Murray each scored 50 and 51 points in Game 4, the first playoff game in NBA history with two 50-point scorers.
• The Nuggets became the 12th team in NBA history to come back from a 3–1 deficit in the 2020 series.