Nikola Jokic, Nuggets Cruise Past Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Suns for Win
It's a new season and new results for the Denver Nuggets.
Though the Nuggets got swept by the Phoenix Suns in the second round of last season's playoffs, they kick-started the 2021-22 campaign with a 110-98 victory in Wednesday's Western Conference showdown at Footprint Center.
Nikola Jokic led a balanced attack for the Nuggets, while a double-double from Chris Paul was not enough for the Suns.
Notable Player Stats
- Nikola Jokic, C, DEN: 27 PTS, 13 REB
- Will Barton, F, DEN: 20 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST
- Michael Porter Jr., F, DEN: 15 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL
- Chris Paul, PG, PHO: 15 PTS, 10 AST, 4 REB, 2 STL
- Devin Booker, G, PHO: 12 PTS, 4 AST, 4 REB, 3-of-15 FG
- Deandre Ayton, C, PHO: 15 PTS, 6 REB
Jokic Leads Balanced Nuggets to Impressive Road Win
Wednesday's game was just one of 82 during the regular season, but it is hard to script a better way to put last playoff's failures in the rearview mirror than to start a new campaign by beating the team that swept you.
That was the opportunity in front of the Nuggets even though they still don't have Jamal Murray as he recovers from a torn ACL.
With no Murray, much of the offensive responsibility fell on the shoulders of the reigning MVP. Jokic picked up where he left off last season and poured in 15 points in the first half alone with ruthless efficiency while also controlling the boards and creating space for his teammates to hit outside looks.
The visitors still trailed by seven heading into the half, but Will Barton's individual burst gave them momentum they eventually parlayed into a double-digit lead by the end of the third quarter.
Michael Porter Jr. and Monte Morris got involved with their smooth outside shots, Aaron Gordon mixed it up with Jae Crowder while contributing a number of ways, and Jokic continued to dazzle when he went coast-to-coast for a layup like a guard.
That put Denver in position to win in the fourth quarter, and Jeff Green and P.J. Dozier bolstered that position with their outside shooting. The Nuggets won the late minutes with Jokic on the bench, and he immediately extended the lead back to double digits upon returning for crunch time.
Six Nuggets scored in double figures with their MVP taking over for stretches, which was a formula for an impressive road win.
Suns Offense Goes Missing Down the Stretch
The Suns missed the playoffs for 10 seasons in a row just to make it all the way to the NBA Finals in 2020-21. Whether they can remain among the league's championship contenders in a daunting Western Conference remains one of the biggest storylines heading into a new campaign.
Denver figures to be one of the teams they are battling for positioning throughout the year, and they looked every bit the part of contenders while overcoming a slow start and staking themselves to a seven-point halftime lead behind a dominant second quarter.
Paul, as he so often is, was in full control while gliding in and out of the defense, hitting from the outside and setting up his teammates.
New addition Landry Shamet also provided a spark off the bench with his outside shooting, and Deandre Ayton—perhaps motivated by the uncertainty regarding his contract situation—scored inside the paint and even extended his arsenal beyond the arc.
Yet Phoenix's offense went ice-cold the rest of the way. Were it not for the bench combination of Cameron Payne, Cameron Johnson and Shamet closing the third quarter with a run, the game may have been over before the fourth even started.
Things got even worse in that final quarter, as 18 total turnovers and missed open looks derailed any comeback efforts. The Suns forced the issue just trying to make up the deficit, and the result was an ugly 16 points in the fourth.
A 38-point second quarter proved to be more of an anomaly than a sign of things to come in this game, and Phoenix didn't have the firepower to keep pace.
What's Next?
Both teams play Friday when the Suns are at the Los Angeles Lakers and the Nuggets host the San Antonio Spurs.
