Lauri Markkanen scored 17 points as the Utah Jazz opened their preseason with a 109-97 win over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday at CU Events Center in Boulder, Colorado.
Utah led 36-26 after the first quarter and never surrendered the lead, according to NBA.com’s game report. Markkanen made three 3-pointers in 14 minutes, while Keyonte George added 15 points.
Blake Hinson scored 14 off the bench, including eight in the fourth quarter. Jaren Jackson Jr. finished with 11 points and Ace Bailey had 10.
Darryn Peterson, the second pick in the 2026 draft, started at shooting guard and had three points and six rebounds in 19 minutes. The Jazz used 16 players, The Deseret News reported.
Denver played without Jamal Murray. Julian Strawther led the Nuggets with 14 points, Aaron Gordon added 12, and Nikola Jokić finished with seven assists.
The teams meet again Tuesday in Salt Lake City. Sunday’s result counts toward the preseason, with the NBA regular season opening October 20.
