DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic led the charge for the Denver Nuggets in a dominant 117-90 victory over the struggling Phoenix Suns on Monday night. Jokic tallied 32 points, with 13 of them coming in a pivotal third quarter that saw the Nuggets pull away. Michael Porter Jr. was also instrumental in the win, contributing 24 points on an efficient 10-of-12 shooting performance.
Denver was without the services of guard Jamal Murray, who sat out due to a sprained left ankle. Despite missing Murray, the Nuggets displayed their depth and resilience, securing their fourth win in five games and handing the Suns their third consecutive defeat.
The Suns were hampered by the absence of guards Devin Booker, nursing a left groin injury, and Grayson Allen, who was in concussion protocol. Phoenix struggled to generate offense outside of Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, who each put up 23 points in the losing effort.
At halftime, Denver held a slim four-point lead before exploding in the third quarter, outscoring Phoenix 45-28. The trio of Jokic, Porter, and Russell Westbrook combined to shoot an impressive 13 of 17 from the field during the period, while the team as a whole shot 64.3% (18 of 28).
In contrast, the Suns started the third quarter cold, missing eight of their first 12 shots and quickly falling behind by 24 points.
Key Takeaways:
Suns: Jusuf Nurkic, known for his success in guarding Jokic, struggled with foul trouble against his former team. Nurkic picked up four fouls in just 9 minutes and 15 seconds of play in the first half, limiting his impact on the game.
Nuggets: Coach Michael Malone utilized his bench depth in Murray’s absence, granting playing time to seldom-used guard Jalen Pickett. Pickett seized the opportunity, notching a career-high 11 points in 22 minutes after playing a total of only 41 minutes in the previous 26 games.
Key Moment:
Phoenix mounted a brief comeback in the fourth quarter, scoring eight unanswered points to trim the deficit to 21. However, a crucial foul on Jokic resulted in missed free throws, but Denver capitalized on the second chance as Hunter Tyson buried a corner 3-pointer to extend the lead to 21 points, effectively sealing the victory.
Key Stat:
The Nuggets maintained their perfect record on the second night of back-to-back games, improving to 4-0 in such situations this season.
Up Next:
The Nuggets and Suns are set for a Christmas Day rematch in Phoenix.
