5/16/2023 0 Comments Denver to phoenix![]() ![]() ![]() Said Booker, simply: “We just got complacent, got relaxed and they didn’t.” … We scored only 40 points in the second half because we just weren’t organized.” “We got five, six games left, so every time we step on the floor it’s got to be with great attention and intention. “What I told them was, we don’t have enough games to do that,” Phoenix coach Monty Williams said. The other got a lecture from its head coach. One team left the court feeling good about itself, battling through adversity. Phoenix didn’t seal the win until forward Josh Okogie hit a 3 with 45 seconds left. In the fourth, the Nuggets twice pulled within four. They failed to get back on defense.ĭenver outscored the Suns 29-12 over the final eight minutes of the third quarter. That margin swelled to 27 midway through the third quarter. They hit 12 of 23 shots in the first quarter, building a 12-point lead. Instead, it became a simple chance for the Suns to continue to build chemistry with Durant. Had Denver been at full strength, this could’ve been a statement moment for Phoenix. So Denver’s still the team to beat in the West? “A lot of people are going to talk, that doesn’t have anything to do with us,” forward Peyton Watson said. We focus on everybody that’s in this locker room and that’s it.” “Not at all,’’ said forward Aaron Gordon, who had 26 points, nine rebounds and six assists. If the Phoenix title talk bothers them, they didn’t show it Friday. They have a top-10 scoring offense and defense. The Nuggets (51-26) have a two-game lead over second-place Memphis (they also hold the tie-breaker) and could lock up the Western conference’s top seed soon. With Denver playing the second game of a back-to-back set, the personnel decision was obvious. He pointed out that Murray has missed the last two postseasons and that Porter missed last year’s. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was sick, while Jamal Murray and Michael Porter, Jr., were out for injury-management.ĭenver coach Michael Malone said all four were out for legitimate reasons. MVP candidate Nikola Jokic was left home with right calf tightness. Denver, on the other hand, was down four starters. For the first time this season, Phoenix didn’t list a single player on its pregame injury report. This game could’ve been a playoffs preview of sorts. ![]() “It’s definitely changed the dynamic of their team,” Denver center DeAndre Jordan said of the Suns adding not just Durant, but also reserves Terrence Ross and T.J. On Friday night, he played for just the fifth time with the Suns, leading them to a 100-93 win over the short-handed Denver Nuggets, the team that has led the Western Conference for most of the season. Durant sprained his left ankle after three games, an injury that sidelined him for three weeks. His presence would make nearly any NBA team a title contender.Įven so, it’s been a rocky transition in the desert. When healthy, he’s played at an MVP level this season. A 13-time All-Star, Durant is among the game’s top all-time scorers. With just more than a week left in the regular season, Durant’s return has shifted power in the West. ![]()
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