PHOENIX – The Denver Nuggets are headed to the Western Conference finals.
Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets controlled the Phoenix Suns 125-100 to win their playoff series 4-2 and advance to the conference champion. Jokic had a 32-point, 12-assist, 10-rebound triple-double in the series-clinching win. Jamal Murray, who played through a non-COVID healthproblem, tallied 26 points.
Suns forward Kevin Durant had 23 in the loss. Devin Booker was held to simply 12 points.
“When we safeguard, when we rebound, when we run, when we share the ball, we think we’re the finest group in the NBA,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone stated. “And tonight, we revealed it.”
Here are the leading takeaways from the Nuggets’ blowout success over the Suns:
Nuggets blitz Suns early
The Nuggets had about as excellent of a veryfirst half as a roadway group might have in an removal videogame. Denver outscored Phoenix 44-26 in the veryfirst quarter. With 2: 52 staying in the 2nd quarter, Kevin Durant was 1-for-10 from the flooring and the Nuggets had a huge 71-45 benefit.
Denver extended its lead to 81-51 at halftime. Jokic had 20 points, 7 helps and 6 rebounds in the veryfirst half. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope led the Nuggets in the veryfirst half with 21 points.
Booker and Durant were a integrated 6-for-23 in the veryfirst 2 quarters.
The Nuggets shot 61% from the flooring in the veryfirst half and held Phoenix to 40%. The Suns likewise had 8 first-half turnovers.
The crowd began to boo the Suns as they left for the locker space at halftime. The Suns likewise routed by 30 points by halftime in last year’s Game 7 house loss to the Dallas Mavericks (also in the 2nd round).
The Nuggets control the veryfirst half versus the Suns, leading by 30 points at the break.
That’s their biggest halftime lead in the playoffs in franchise history.
Denver’s 81 points are the most in the first half by a road team in postseason history. pic.twitter.com/TR4qXMHFPv
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 12, 2023
Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray control videogame in total efficiency
Caldwell-Pope got off to a hot begin, however it was Jokic and Murray who declined to let the Nuggets lose Game 6.
They took turns making plays each time the Suns attempted to make a little rally effort. The