On Friday, the Phoenix Suns (29-33) will begin a four-game road trip against the Denver Nuggets (40-22), looking for their second straight win. ESPN will carry the game at 8 p.m.
This will be the final encounter between the two teams this season, with Denver winning two of the previous three. The Suns were defeated 122-105 at home in their most recent game on February 8.
Phoenix is now ranked 11th in the Western Conference and is coming off its largest comeback victory of the season, a 119-117 win over the Clippers on Tuesday. The Suns, led by Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal, have gone 3–5 since the All-Star break.
They are now 2.5 games behind the Dallas Mavericks for the last playoffoff place.
Denver’s offense ranks second in the NBA, led by three-time MVP Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, and Russell Westbrook. The Nuggets, who now sit third in the Western Conference, have won seven of their previous ten games.
Durant’s buzzer-beater sends the game to overtime
Kevin Durant sank a clutch corner three with 1.1 seconds left to tie the game at 125-125 and force overtime. Durant led a 7-0 run to end the third quarter, paving the way for Devin Booker’s hot streak in the fourth. Booker scored 11 of the Suns’ first 21 points, including three triples and a four-point play, to reduce the deficit to three with 4:44 left.
Phoenix ended the third quarter with a 7-0 run, paced by Kevin Durant, to trim the lead to 102-91. Durant, who has 24 points, scored 11 of his team-high 19 in the quarter, while Devin Booker, who has 34 points, added 12 of his 18 during the same period. On the opposite side, Denver’s Aaron Gordon set a career record with seven three-pointers, leading the Nuggets with 25 points. Nikola Jokić has a triple-double, scoring 17 points, 12 rebounds, and 15 assists.
The Suns cut the deficit to nine shortly after the 11-minute mark, their first time within single digits since the 7:30 mark in the second quarter. However, four minutes later, the Nuggets rallied with a 16-4 run, aided by Michael Porter Jr.’s nine points, to extend their lead to 21. Phoenix responded with an 8-0 run, highlighted by a and-one and a long three from Devin Booker, reducing Denver’s advantage to 13 with 5:26 left.
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Phoenix’s greatest deficit of the game was 17 points in the second quarter, and it trailed 68-56 at halftime. The Suns trailed throughout the first half. Devin Booker scored all of his 12 points in the second quarter, going 3-for-6 from the field. Kevin Durant scored seven of his 11 points (4-of-5 shooting) during the period, but he also caused three of the Suns’ seven turnovers. Durant had a quiet first half, shooting only two shots before making his first three-pointer at 3:05. On the next possession, he went for a beautiful reverse slam in transition.
Nikola Jokić is on track for a triple-double, with 13 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds.
After the Suns fell behind by 12 at 11:40, Devin Booker went on a 7-0 run by 9:14. Phoenix’s defensive troubles continued, allowing Denver to reply with a 17-8 run over the next four minutes. After Aaron Gordon (game-high 17 points) made his career-best fifth three-pointer, the Nuggets’ lead increased to 17. Denver has been extremely effective from beyond the arc, going 13-of-20 overall, including 6-of-9 in the second quarter.
Nuggets pour down in the first quarter
The Nuggets dominated from beyond the arc in the opening quarter, leaving Phoenix behind 37-28. Aaron Gordon led the Nuggets with 12 points, all from three-point range, while Nikola Jokić scored 10 points. Nick Richards and Bradley Beal scored six points each for the Suns.
The Nuggets started hot from beyond the arc, highlighted by Gordon’s four 3-pointers, going 7-for-11 from deep. They also outscored the Suns 12-3 in fast-break points, scored eight points off five Phoenix mistakes, and shot an impressive 62.8%.
Denver went on an 8-0 run from 8:52 to 8:08, increasing their lead to seven, followed by an 8-3 run from 4:37 to 3:29. Russell Westbrook scored six consecutive points off the bench, capping his run at 1:26, and the Suns were behind by 12.
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