Jazz host Nuggets

The Nuggets, who are seeded third in the Western Conference playoff race, made it three wins in a row with Monday’s 110-98 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers at the Rose Garden.

Carmelo Anthony scored a game-high 28 points and helped Denver capture the Northwest Division title. The division title for the playoff-bound Nuggets is their first since the 1987-88 campaign when they ended with a mark of 54-28.

Marcus Camby and former Trail Blazer Ruben Patterson both tallied 21 points, while DerMarr Johnson came off the bench to contribute 13 points and Andre Miller accounted for 10 and a game-high nine assists for the Nuggets.

Denver is 1-3 in its last four road games and 18-21 as the visitor this season.

The Jazz also have won three in a row and will close out a three-game homestand against Denver.

Utah, which is two games behind Sacramento for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, posted its third straight win with Monday’s 85-83 win over the Houston Rockets.

Carlos Boozer finished with 25 points and hit 1-of-2 free throws with 4.3 seconds to play to secure the win at the Delta Center. Mehmet Okur added 20 points and a game-high 12 rebounds for the Jazz, while Matt Harpring tallied 14 points and Deron Williams scored 11 with a game-high eight assists.

The Jazz are 3-1 in their last four home games and 20-19 as the host this season.

Wednesday’s game between Denver and Utah is the fourth and final meeting of the season between the teams. The Jazz own a 2-1 record in the season series and have won five of the last eight meetings.

Denver has lost three of its last four trips and 17 of 19 at Utah.