Chris Paul Blames Himself for Suns' Pace of Play in Loss to Nikola Jokić, Nuggets

Chris Paul is looking in the mirror when it comes to taking blame for the Phoenix Suns' Game 1 loss to the Denver Nuggets

"I think the biggest thing is we gotta play faster. That's on me," Paul told reporters following the Nuggets' 125-107 victory.

The Suns shot 51.7 percent from the floor overall but turned the ball over 16 times and knocked down just seven of their 23 three-point attempts.

Saturday's game played at an average pace of 97.5 possessions, which was not outside the typical game for either the Suns or Nuggets. Phoenix finished 22nd in pace during the regular season (98.83) while Denver was 24th in pace (98.74). Given the fact pacing typically slows down in the playoffs, the pace of Saturday's game was right in line with expectations.

The Suns' major issue in Game 1 was their sloppiness with the ball and inability to close out on the perimeter defensively. Denver knocked down 16 threes compared to seven for Phoenix; that's a 27-point deficit to make up on twos and free throws.

Add in the turnover issues—seven by Kevin Durant alone—and there was no recipe for success for the Suns.