But the three-time All-Star finished with just 12 points on Thursday. Suns guard Devin Booker was brilliant in most of the postseason, averaging 36 points per game on 60% before Game 6. They came out and got us in the mouth and we couldn't recover.”
The 34-year-old had some good moments in the playoffs, but made just 1 of his first 10 shots on Thursday as the Suns fell into a huge hole. Phoenix was eliminated in the Western Conference semifinals in a blowout at home for a second straight season despite a blockbuster trade deadline deal for Durant, a 13-time All-Star and one of the game's most prolific scorers. Ayton sustained a rib contusion in Tuesday’s Game 5 while Paul has been out the past four games with a strained left groin. The Suns were playing without injured starters Deandre Ayton and Chris Paul. “That falls on my shoulders not having us ready to play at the highest level in the biggest game of the year.”Ĭameron Payne scored 31 points for Phoenix, hitting 7 of 9 3-pointers. “It was deflating to see them score like that and running down the floor getting easy buckets,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. The second half was essentially an afterthought. “He shows (his greatness) every night,” Murray said.ĭenver's offensive onslaught continued in the second as the lead grew to 81-51 by halftime, leading to boos from Suns fans as players made their way to the locker room. It was his fourth triple-double of the postseason in 11 games. Jokic shot 13 of 18 from the field and added 12 assists and 10 rebounds. We were just really good.”Ĭaldwell-Pope finished with 21 points. “We were the aggressors the whole game,” Jokic said. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope - averaging 9.5 points in the playoffs - scored 17 in the first quarter while Jokic added 14. The top-seeded Nuggets used a 23-2 run during the latter part of the first quarter to take a 44-26 lead and never looked back.
The Nuggets will play in the conference finals for the first time since they lost to the Lakers in five games in the Florida bubble during the COVID-19 pandemic. “When we defend, when we rebound, when we run, when we share the ball, we believe we're the best team in the NBA,” Denver coach Michael Malone said. Nikola Jokic scored 32 points in another triple-double, Jamal Murray added 26 and the Nuggets advanced to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2020 by beating the short-handed Suns 125-100 in Game 6 on Thursday night. This time, it was the Nuggets who dished out the embarrassment. PHOENIX (AP) - Two years ago, the Denver Nuggets were embarrassed by the Phoenix Suns in a postseason sweep.
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