DENVER — Nikola Jokic delivered a standout performance by scoring 13 of his total 32 points during a commanding third quarter, leading the Denver Nuggets to a convincing 117-90 victory over the struggling Phoenix Suns on Monday evening.
Michael Porter Jr. also shined with 24 points, showing remarkable efficiency by shooting 10-of-12 for the night. The Nuggets played without their guard Jamal Murray, who is sidelined due to a sprained left ankle. Despite this, the Nuggets secured their fourth win in five games, while the Suns faced their third consecutive defeat.
The Suns were missing key guards Devin Booker, who is dealing with a left groin injury, and Grayson Allen, who is under concussion protocol. As a result, the team struggled to find additional scoring power beyond Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, both of whom managed to contribute 23 points each.
At halftime, the Nuggets held a narrow four-point lead but exploded in the third quarter, outscoring the Suns 45-28. During this period, Jokic, Porter, and Russell Westbrook were particularly effective, hitting 13 of 17 shots, while the team as a whole shot 18-of-28.
The Suns faced difficulties early in the second half, missing eight of their first twelve attempts, which led to a significant 24-point deficit.
Takeaway notes from the game include Jusuf Nurkic’s struggles against Jokic. Although he has had past success in guarding his former teammate, he found himself in early foul trouble, accumulating four fouls and spending only 9:15 on the court in the first half.
For the Nuggets, in light of Murray’s absence, coach Michael Malone extended his bench rotation by providing playing time to seldom-used guard Jalen Pickett. Pickett took full advantage of his opportunity, scoring a career-high 11 points and contributing 22 minutes of play after having only appeared for a total of 41 minutes throughout the previous 26 games.
A significant moment in the game came when the Suns scored eight consecutive points to slice down a 24-point gap; however, Jokic was fouled during a layup attempt. He missed the ensuing free throw, but the Nuggets secured the rebound, leading to Hunter Tyson sinking a three-pointer from the corner to stretch Denver’s advantage to 100-79 heading into the final quarter.
A key statistic from the game is that the Nuggets have a perfect 4-0 record in games played on the second night of back-to-back schedules.
Looking ahead, the two teams will face each other once more on Christmas night, this time in Phoenix.
