Savovic debuts with 11 points in Nuggets' loss

Advertiser Staff

DENVER — Former University of Hawai'i basketball player Predrag Savovic had 11 points and four assists in his NBA debut for the Denver Nuggets last night.

Karl Malone scored 21 points to lead the Utah Jazz over the Nuggets, 96-79.

"He found out three hours before the game that he would play," said Marc Cornstein, Savovic's agent. "He was happy with his performance, but he also realizes this is the first step in a long journey."

Savovic, a 6-foot-6 guard, had been on the injured list since the start of the season with a sprained right ankle. He was activated yesterday because Chris Whitney went on the injured list with a sprained left ankle.

Savovic shot 4-of-9 from the field, including one 3-pointer, in 23 minutes.

Savovic, UH's all-time leading 3-point shooter, signed with the Nuggets as an undrafted free agent in July.