On Wednesday night, the Denver Nuggets faced a brutal 124-111 beatdown by their division rival Utah Jazz. That final score might not seem like a beatdown, but for a good chunk of the game, the Jazz had a double-digit lead over the Nuggets, and afterward, head coach Michael Malone gave Nikola Jokic and the team a reality check.

The Jazz flew out of the gate early with a 23-9 lead over the defending champions. The energy caught the Nuggets off guard. Whereas Denver looked sluggish and a step or two slower than the Jazz all night.

“They played harder than us. I think that was the most obvious thing for me,” Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said after the game. “They came out with tremendous energy. They attacked us for 48 (minutes) and I didn’t think we came close to matching that.”

The defensive effort by the Jazz gave the Nuggets the fits early. It forced the Nuggets to shoot 42.9 percent within the first 24 minutes of the game. For the Nuggets defensively, they struggled to find a way to combat Utah's three-point shooting early. This dug the Nuggets into a hole, ultimately becoming insurmountable.

“If we continue to do this, we’re going to take a real nosedive,” said Malone. “That’s the reality of it. We’re playing against some really, really talented teams that are having great seasons and if we don’t come with a workman-like mentality, there’s gonna be more nights like this.”

Michael Malone wasn't the only one frustrated. After a driving layup by Utah's Lauri Markkanen, Denver's Nikola Jokic slammed the ball on the court and shook his head.

“Of course you get frustrated, but I’m trying to keep myself calm and just trying to help the team to somehow win the game,” Jokic said postgame.