Carmelo Anthony collected 23 points and seven rebounds as the host Denver Nuggets routed the Utah Jazz, 110-88, on Wednesday night in the season opener for both teams.

Arron Afflalo scored 22 points, Chauncey Billups had 14 and eight assists and Shelden Williams grabbed 16 rebounds for the Nuggets, who gave coach George Karl a win in his return to the bench. Karl missed the tail end of last season and the postseason while battling neck and throat cancer.

Deron Williams scored 17 points and Paul Millsap had 15 and eight rebounds for the Jazz, who eliminated the Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs last season.

The Nuggets opened their largest lead at 72-45 on two free throws by Anthony with 8:52 left in the third quarter.

Utah rookie Gordon Hayward scored his first career basket to trim the deficit to 30-24 early in the second quarter, but the Nuggets took control with a 30-16 surge for a 60-40 halftime lead.

Offseason acquisition Al Harrington had a quick start and finished with 10 points and seven rebounds for the Nuggets, who scored the game’s first nine points en route to a 27-17 lead after 12 minutes. Billups, who had 12 points and five assists in the first half, left the game briefly in the opening period after taking a shot to the lip that required stitches.