Denver Nuggets Take 2-0 Lead in Western Conference Semifinals with 97-87 Win Over Phoenix Suns
Key Highlights :
The Denver Nuggets took a commanding 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals on Monday night with a 97-87 win over the Phoenix Suns. Led by Nikola Jokic's 39 points and 16 rebounds, the Nuggets held the Suns to 14 points in the fourth quarter to secure the victory.
Aaron Gordon added 16 points and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 14 points and made all four of his 3-point attempts for the Nuggets. Jamal Murray scored 10 points and dished out eight assists in the win.
For the Suns, Devin Booker scored 35 points, Kevin Durant had 24 points and Deandre Ayton added 14. Chris Paul had to leave the game in the third quarter with left groin tightness and finished with eight points and six assists in 25 minutes.
The Suns led by three points entering the fourth quarter, but they missed their first nine shots of the final period. Denver grabbed a 78-73 lead on two 3-pointers from Caldwell-Pope and a short jumper by Murray. Durant broke the drought with a fadeaway and driving layup to make it a one-point game with 7:36 left. The lead stayed within a five-point margin until under the three-minute mark, with both teams having chances to make a run.
Jokic put the Nuggets ahead 86-81 when Durant was called for goaltending. Bruce Brown blocked a Durant shot, and after a timeout, Caldwell-Pope hit another 3-pointer to give Denver an 89-81 lead with 2:43 to go. Cameron Payne missed at the other end, and Murray made a jumper to give the Nuggets a 10-point advantage, and the hosts closed it out.
The first half was a defensive battle with both teams struggling to make shots. Phoenix used nine offensive rebounds to outscore Denver 8-0 in second-chance points and lead 42-40 at halftime.
The Suns started to surge in the third quarter, taking a 59-51 lead on a jumper from Paul. Jokic scored Denver's last nine points of the period to get the Nuggets within 73-70 heading into the fourth.
The Nuggets are now up 2-0 in the best-of-seven series, with Game 3 scheduled for Friday in Phoenix. Denver will look to continue their impressive defensive effort, while the Suns will need to find a way to slow down Jokic and the rest of the Nuggets' offense.
