"We were the guys who were knocked down on the floor most of the night," coach Jerry Sloan after his club, which also lost at home to Cleveland on Saturday night, again got out-muscled. "They did a great job knocking us down. You know, you have to (make them) pay for that. You can't sit there and feel sorry for yourself."

But the Jazz did, and as a result they lost on the road for the third straight time and for eighth time in their last nine outings away from EnergySolutions Arena.

They also lost for the third consecutive time overall, and for the fifth time in their last seven games.

They lost for the fifth time in a row against Denver, and for the second time in as many games this season against the 29-15 Nuggets -- who both times were playing without All-Star Carmelo Anthony, the first in the 2008-09 season opener for both teams because of a suspension and on this occasion due to his broken right hand.

And, while we're at it, they fell to 1-10 in the second game of back-to-back sets this season.

Much more importantly than all of that, though, is that the loss dropped 25-20 Utah -- along with the Nuggets, among nine teams fighting for eight Western Conference playoff berths -- to four-and-a-half games behind division-leading Denver.

No wonder Williams suggested he's "really concerned" about what about the big-picture future holds for the Jazz, who face Southwest Division-leading San Antonio at home on Tuesday night.

"You can't afford to lose as many bad games as we have in this West," he said. "You know, everybody is right there together.

"And we had a chance to move up the last two games -- and we drop one at home, and then come and drop one by 20 to a division rival."

Even more disconcerting than the final margin was a start that found the Jazz down 35-26 after one quarter and by nine, 60-51, at halftime.

Denver's first bucket coming out of the break was a 3-pointer by Billups, and that gave the Nuggets a double-digit lead they comfortably held the rest of the way.

"I'm disappointed," said Williams, who with 15 points and 10 assists joined Paul Millsap (12 points, 10 rebounds) and Mehmet Okur (12 points, 10 boards as well) in eeking out double-doubles.

"Another game lost in the first quarter," he added after Denver won in its first outing since last Tuesday. "You let them score 35 points, and get a rhythm like that after they've been off five days -- it's pretty tough."

As for what was behind it, some in the locker room of the Jazz -- who again were playing with injured Carlos Boozer and Andrei Kirilenko -- seemed to be at, well, a loss.

"I don't know what to say," said Okur, who hit just 4-for-12 from the field.

"I don't know what it is, man," Williams added. "We've got to figure it out."

They do, and at least one -- veteran reserve Matt Harpring -- has an idea as to how to get started.

He blamed the loss on "just lack of effort," and suggested that mindsets must change.

"Sometimes it doesn't look like we have the attitude that our backs are against the wall," Harpring said. "We're just kind of out there playing.

"It's frustrating, and I know it's got to be frustrating for coach. But I think a lot can be accomplished by just effort.

"Sometimes you're not making your shots, but if you're not ... you've got to try to make it up with hustle plays or rebounds or deflections or steals or something trying to help your team win," he added. "Sometimes when we don't make shots, it's like, 'Oh well.' " E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com