Denver Nuggets · 2026-27 preseason
Denver scored 20 more points. Not one came from an extra three.
Between two preseason games against Utah, Denver made the same 11 threes and doubled its free throws. Sixteen of the 20 extra points came from the line.
Two games, four numbers
points: 97 in the opener, 117 in the rematch
Oct 4 and Oct 6 · preseason · Box scores: ESPN; NBA gamebook
made threes in each game (11 of 39, then 11 of 28)
Oct 4 and Oct 6 · preseason · Box scores: ESPN
free-throw attempts in the rematch, up from 21 (30 made, up from 14)
Oct 4 and Oct 6 · preseason · Box scores: ESPN
% of field-goal attempts from three, down from 43.8%
28/72 vs 39/89 · desk arithmetic from the box scores
Same 33 points from three. The extra 20 came from somewhere else.
Denver points by shot type · 2026-27 preseason · vs Utah
Points derived from FG, 3PT and FT lines: two-point makes = FGM minus 3PM. Box scores: ESPN (Oct 4, Oct 6); NBA gamebook; RealGM.
Sixteen of the 20 new points came from the free-throw line
From 97 to 117: where Denver's extra points came from · 2026-27 preseason
Desk arithmetic from the box scores: 2 × two-point makes + 3 × 3PM + FTM. Box scores: ESPN; NBA gamebook; wire box score.
30 made free throws
Up from 14. Denver still missed 12 of its 42 attempts. The line, not the arc, carried the rebound.
Denver traded threes for trips to the line
Denver attempts by type · Oct 4 vs Oct 6 · 2026-27 preseason
Two-point attempts = FGA minus 3PA. Box scores: ESPN; NBA box score; RealGM.
Missing: the West
This board does not rank Denver against the rest of the Western Conference. No verified West-wide preseason series was obtained, and standings pages still showed last season. The only Western opponent in the data is Utah, twice.
Who went to the line
Aaron Gordon and Cam Whitmore took 14 of the 42 attempts in the rematch and made 12. In the opener, Gordon went 3 of 3 and Whitmore took none.
Box scores: ESPN; player shooting rows match NBA and RealGM.
Murray back in the starting five, Jones to the bench
Minutes by player (MM:SS) · Oct 4 vs Oct 6 · 2026-27 preseason
DNP is the recorded coach's decision, not an injury. Oct 4: NBA gamebook. Oct 6: NBA box score, checked against RealGM.
Rotation and scheme: the read
FactJamal Murray, a coach's-decision DNP in the opener, started the rematch. Tyus Jones moved to the bench. Gordon, Johnson, Jokić and Braun started both games.
FactDenver took 17 fewer field-goal attempts (89 to 72), 11 fewer threes (39 to 28) and twice the free throws (21 to 42).
InterpretationThe rematch looks like a different scoring mix, with more possessions ending at the line. It does not show why. Pace, coverage and lineup data that could separate Murray's return from foul calls, a thinner Utah lineup or chance were not available, so this desk makes no scheme claim.
What happened this week
UtahThe counter-case
Two preseason games are not a pattern. Utah sat Lauri Markkanen and Jusuf Nurkic in the rematch (coach's decisions), so Denver faced a different opponent. Extra free throws can come from officiating, opponent fouls or experimental lineups rather than a repeatable skill. The 20-point gain is accounting: it says where the points came from, not what caused them.
What to watch next
Chicago at Denver, Sunday October 11, 9:00 p.m. ET (6:30 a.m. October 12 in India), Ball Arena. Game page- At the LA Clippers October 14, at the LA Lakers October 16 (local dates).
- Regular-season opener October 22 at Oklahoma City.
Desk thresholdThe new mix holds up if Denver again takes 30 or more free throws and around 30 threes or fewer. Back near 39 threes and 21 free throws, the rematch reads as a one-night result.
Sources and claims log
Only verified claims are on this board. Contested, kept off: some rematch steals, blocks, turnovers and plus/minus; Utah's rematch totals; current-season seeding; Denver's payroll and apron position. Not found: the rematch gamebook, pace, lineup stints, defensive coverage, rim and mid-range shot locations, a West-wide comparison. Dates follow the venue's local date.
- Box scores: ESPN, via VizNBA (Oct 4, Oct 6)
- NBA official gamebook, Oct 4
- NBA box score, Oct 6
- RealGM box score, Oct 6
- Wire box score (AOL)
- NBA rematch recap
- Nuggets rematch listing
- NBA opener play-by-play
- Nuggets schedule
- Bulls schedule
- DeRozan signing (NBA.com)
- NBA Media Day coverage
- Photos: Troutfarm27 (CC BY-SA 4.0); Ken Lund (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Stats and schedules: NBA.com. Box scores: ESPN.
Same threes, more points
Denver lost its preseason opener to Utah 109-97, then beat the Jazz 117-106 two days later. The obvious guess is better shooting from deep. The box scores say otherwise.
The claim
Denver made 11 threes in both games. Every one of its 20 extra points came from somewhere else, and 16 came from the free-throw line.
Four numbers
Plus 20 points, 11 made threes twice, free-throw attempts doubled to 42, and a smaller share of shots from three. All four come straight from the two box scores.
Where the points came from
Threes were worth 33 points both nights. Twos grew by 4 points. Free throws grew from 14 to 30.
The turning point
Walk from 97 to 117 and the free-throw step dwarfs the others. Denver made 30 of 42 at the line in the rematch, after 14 of 21 in the opener.
A different shot diet
Denver took 11 fewer threes and 6 fewer twos, and twice as many free throws. The share of field-goal attempts from three fell from 43.8% to 38.9%. A West-wide comparison was not available, so the board says so.
Who went to the line
Aaron Gordon and Cam Whitmore took 14 of the 42 free throws in Salt Lake City and made 12.
The rotation
Jamal Murray, held out of the opener by coach's decision, started the rematch and Tyus Jones went to the bench. Gordon's minutes rose by about five.
The read
Facts first, then a labelled interpretation: a different scoring mix, with no claim about scheme, because the possession and coverage data to prove one was not available.
This week
A loss in Boulder, a win in Salt Lake City, and DeMar DeRozan's first Media Day with Denver.
The counter-case
Two preseason games, a Utah team without Markkanen in the rematch, and free throws that can swing on whistles. The accounting is solid; the cause is open.
What to watch
Chicago visits Ball Arena on October 11. If Denver is back near 39 threes and 21 free throws, the rematch was a one-off.
Sources
18 claims logged, 13 verified. Everything contested or unverified stayed off the board.
The whole case
Same 11 threes, 20 more points. Watch the free-throw line against Chicago.