Jazz Fall to Nuggets in Preseason Action Despite Peterson’s Brilliance

The Utah Jazz matched up with the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night in preseason action, falling 117-106 in their second game of the exhibition slate.

Utah started well, taking a 31-24 lead into the second quarter, but from there it was largely all Denver. The Nuggets won the second quarter 41-28 before outscoring the Jazz 30-22 in the third, giving them a comfortable advantage entering the final frame that Utah was never able to overcome.

The injuries are already starting to pile up for the Jazz. Lauri Markkanen was unavailable due to neck soreness, while Jusuf Nurkić, Kyle Filipowski and Brice Sensabaugh were also sidelined. That pushed Ace Bailey into the starting lineup alongside Keyonte George, Darryn Peterson, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jaxson Hayes.

As is usually the case in the preseason, though, the final score was probably the least significant takeaway.

Jackson is still getting acclimated after being acquired by Utah early in 2026 and undergoing season-ending surgery shortly afterward. In just his second game in a Jazz uniform, he finished with seven points on 2-of-3 shooting in 27 minutes.

Peterson was the star of the show for Utah. The rookie poured in 23 points on 10-of-18 shooting while adding three rebounds and three assists. He connected on just one of his six attempts from beyond the arc, but continued to show flashes of the scoring ability and shot creation that could eventually make him a star in this league.

His backcourt mate, George, had six points and four assists in limited action. He attempted only four shots but knocked down both of his attempts from beyond the arc.

Beyond the starters, this was largely a game about evaluating Utah’s reserve pieces and younger players. Isaiah Collier, Trey Alexander, Jonas Aidoo and others received opportunities as the Jazz continued to experiment with different combinations.

Mo Bamba also made the most of his opportunity, finishing with eight points and 10 rebounds as he looks to establish himself as a reliable depth piece in Utah’s frontcourt.

Two offseason additions in Josh Okogie and Josh Green also saw action. Green didn’t make much of an offensive impact, but Okogie contributed eight points, three rebounds, three assists and a steal.

Ultimately, there isn’t much reason to overreact to a preseason loss. If anything, Tuesday provided more film and more data for a Jazz team that’s both young and unfamiliar with one another. There will inevitably be growing pains with such a new-look roster, and games like this give Utah an opportunity to identify those deficiencies before the results begin to count.