![]() ![]() He had a team-high 31 points on 12-for-16 shooting. Cameron Payne, inserted into the starting lineup for Paul, was actually one of the Suns' few bright spots on Thursday. Suns center Deandre Ayton (rib contusion) and guard Chris Paul (left groin strain) were both ruled out Thursday. Deandre Ayton and Chris Paul miss Suns' final game Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon deserves credit for the defense he played on Durant during the series. He started the contest 1-for-10 and finished 8-for-19 for 23 points with four turnovers. After getting off to such a great start through five games, Booker was an inefficient 4-for-13 from the floor for a modest 12 points.ĭurant wasn’t effective in a game the Suns needed to stay alive. Devin Booker and Kevin Durant quiet in Game 6īooker picked the wrong time to have his worst game of the series. "He shows (his greatness) every night," Murray said of Jokic, a two-time MVP. They played a two-man game on offense and found their teammates when slicing to the basket or for open shots. They took turns making plays each time the Suns tried to make a small rally attempt. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray control game in complete performanceĬaldwell-Pope got off to a hot start, but it was Jokic and Murray who refused to let the Nuggets lose Game 6. The Suns also trailed by 30 points by halftime in last year's Game 7 home loss to the Dallas Mavericks (also in the second round). The crowd started to boo the Suns as they exited for the locker room at halftime. The Suns also had eight first-half turnovers. The Nuggets shot 61% from the floor in the first half and held Phoenix to 40%. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope led the Nuggets in the first half with 21 points.īooker and Durant were a combined 6-for-23 in the first two quarters. Jokic had 20 points, seven assists and six rebounds in the first half. With 2:52 remaining in the second quarter, Kevin Durant was 1-for-10 from the floor and the Nuggets had a big 71-45 advantage.ĭenver extended its lead to 81-51 at halftime. Denver outscored Phoenix 44-26 in the first quarter. The Nuggets had about as good of a first half as a road team could have in an elimination game. Here are the top takeaways from the Nuggets' blowout victory over the Suns: Nuggets blitz Suns early "When we defend, when we rebound, when we run, when we share the ball, we believe we’re the best team in the NBA,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. Suns forward Kevin Durant had 23 in the loss. Jamal Murray, who played through a non-COVID illness, tallied 26 points. Jokic had a 32-point, 12-assist, 10-rebound triple-double in the series-clinching win. Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets dominated the Phoenix Suns 125-100 to win their playoff series 4-2 and advance to the conference championship. PHOENIX – The Denver Nuggets are headed to the Western Conference finals. Watch Video: Kenny Smith compares NBA Playoffs to "college basketball parity" ![]()
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