Suns 117 - 107 Nuggets summary, stats, scores and highlights | NBA
Durant had 8 of his 35 in the overtime period as the Suns took an early lead and never looked back. KD had the ball in his hands at the end of regulation, and again late in the OT session. He drilled the dagger on a night in which he poured in 35 points on 34 FGs.
The Suns win puts them back on track after a bumpy restart following the All-Star break. They are holding on to the 6th and final automatic playoff spot in the West, but there is a pack of teams on their heels looking to climb out of Play-In position. Meanwhile the Nuggets six game winning streak comes to an end, but they are still in the thick of the race for the one seed.
KD struggled in the final quarter, just like the rest of his teammates but when they needed it most, one of the greatest scorers in the league delivered with a three ball to push the game to overtime.
Saben Lee had one of the few highlights for the Suns in the final quarter. They went into the fourth up by nine, but only scored 12 points to allow the Nuggets to take the lead late in the game.
Phoenix shut down the Nuggets at the end of the second quarter, holding Denver to one point over a six minute span. That allowed KD and company to take a 22 point lead coming out of the halftime break.
Grayson Allen is known as a three and D guy, but when he gets in the open court he can fly. There were moments in the game when KD came and went, and Allen was there to pick the team up when they needed a bucket.
Yusuf Nurkic did a little bit of everything, including foul out in the fourth quarter, but when he was in the game he neutralized Nikola Jokic on the defensive end and even set up a few buckets on a night in which he posted 7, 12 and 6.
Grayson Allen went wild from downtown in the Mile High City. He hits four threes in the first quarter and he was just getting started.
The Phoenix Suns went into the house of the defending champions and got a much needed win in Denver, and they did it without Devin Booker. Kevin Durant pushed the game to OT with a late three ball and carried his team to a 117-107 win in the extra session.
He came into the night knowing that the scoring burden would be put on his shoulders and KD answered the call, but he got some help from a couple teammates that had huge nights against the reigning champs.
IT'S ALL OVER!!! THE SUNS SNAP THE NUGGETS STREAK AND GET A MUCH NEEDED WIN!
Durant drops a three ball and he puts a cap on this game! He's got 8 in OT.
Jokic with a three ball and the Nuggets aren't done yet!
Durant with the elbow jumper and the Suns lead by 10!
Finger roll from Beal and he beats the shot clock buzzer! 10-2 run to start OT and the Nuggets need a TO.
Beal strings the three after the offensive board and kick out from O'Neale.
Porter with a baseline drive and lays it up and in.
Durant drills the three ball and the Suns are off to a hot start to begin the OT session.
Beal on the dump down for Eubanks who dunks it over JOkic.
WE ARE HEADED TO OVERTIME!!!
Jokic missed the mid range jumper off the dribble and Gordon's tip slam came after the buzzer sounded!
Denver has the ball with 4 on the clock and they will get the inbound after the timeout.
Durant drills the three ball and we are all tied up here from Denver!
Murray with the step back fader from the mid range and he strokes it!
KCP with the three ball and the Nuggets take the lead with 1:29 to go in the game! 10-0 run from Denver and they lead for the first time since early in the second quarter.
TImeout Suns.
Jokic going to the line after the sixth foul on Nurkic, and he hits both FTs.
Murray with a tip in after following up his own miss.
KCP answers with a three ball and the Suns want a timeout with 3:33 to go in the 4th.
Beal drills the three ball from the top of the key and the lead is back up to 9.
Out of bounds for PHO, but the Nuggets will challenge as they think it went off of Sun last
Timeout with 5:02 to go.
Durant pulls the trigger from the elbow and breaks a near five minute drought for PHO.
MPJ goes coast to coast and weaves through the D for the lay in.
Timeout Suns with just under 8:00 to go in the fourth quarter!
Porter drills the three ball and we've got a six point game here from Denver!
Braun cuts down the land and Murray found him for the floater.
Beal blows by the defender and lays it up off the glass.
Murray with the dump off to Braun who lays it in in transition.
Lee on the break and he throws down a nasty jam on Nnaji's head.
We are heading to the 4th quarter with the Suns holding on to a nine point lead.
Jokic follows his own miss and puts it up and in.
Eubanks to the line after the foul on Jokic and he hits both FTs.
Jokic with the three ball and he is starting to warm up t the right time for Denver!
Eubanks to the line after the foul on Watson and he hits both FTs.
Jokic kicks it out to KCP who strings the three ball!
Eubanks to the rim and he finger rolls it up and in off the timeout play.
Timeout Suns with 2:23 to go in the third quarter.
Murray had the seas part and he takes it to the rack with a two handed jam!
Jokic taking it at Nurkic and he gets the foul AND 1! That's Nurkic's 5th foul with 3:01 to go in the 3rd quarter. FT is no good.
Jokic cleans up the miss from MPJ.
Durant finds Nurkic down low and he lays it up and in.
Jokic spots up from the mid range and finally hits a two point field goal.
KD with the kick out and he hits O'Neale for the three ball!
Timeout Suns with 5:38 to go in the 3rd quarter.
MPJ picks off the Nurkic pass and slams it home after the steal.
Murray with the floater in the lane and the foul! FT is good after the foul on Nurkic.
Durant pulls up from the wing and hits the mid range jumper.
Porter Jr. threads a three ball from the wing! They'd love to see him get going.
Murray pulls up from the baseline and hits the shot fading out of bounds.
Durant to the line after the foul on Porter Jr. and he hits both FTs.
KD with the pull up from a step inside the arc and the foul! FT is no good.
Gordon was left alone in the corner and he knocks down the three ball.
Allen with three pointer number eight! What a night for the former Dukie!
Murray into the lane and he hits the runner.
Nurkic driviing to the bucket and he lays it up and in.
Allen drills the three ball in the corner off the kick out from Beal.
WE ARE BACK IN DENVER FOR THE SECOND HALF OF ACTION.
Allen is 6/6 from DT, but like we said earlier, he's doing a little bit of everything. He's got 22 points, three rebounds and three assists to go along with this steal.
Jokic isn't the only big man on the court that can dish the rock. Nurkic has five assists and seven rebounds to go with his three points.
Bol Bol came off the bench and had some productive minutes, and had this jam to add to a big run for the Suns in the second quarter.
Jokic was relatively quiet in the first half, scoring just nine points, but the Suns know he can get hot in an instant.
Allen got the Suns off to a quick start drilling four threes in the first half, and he has been doing a little bit of everything on a night where he is taking advantage of a few more looks with Booker on the bench.
With no Devin Booker, KD knew the brunt of the scoring responsibility was going to fall on him and he's been answering the call. PHO has been getting out on the break after forcing 8 first quarter turnovers.
We are heading to the halftime break and the Suns lead by 15! They held Denver to just 18 points in the second quarter.
Jokic dumps it off down low to Gordon who slams it and gets the foul! FT is no good.
Allen with a catch and shoot in the corner and he's got six threes and 22 points!
Jokic to the line after the foul on O'Neale and he hits both FTs.
Allen with another three ball! His fifth of the game!
Gordon hits the mid range jumper after Jokic tapped the rebound to him and that ends a 6 minute spell without a FG.
Allen with the steal and the slam after picking off Jokic.
Durant to the line after the foul on MPJ and he his both FTs.
KD with the leaner from outside the lane and he dropped it over the outstretched hand of Murray.
Timeout Nuggets with 2:32 to go in the 2nd quarter.
O'Neale with the floater down the lane and he gets the roll. 17-1 run for the Suns.
Dump off to Nurkic from KD and he slams it home after the pump fake underneath.
Jokic to the line after the foul on O'Neale, and he hits one of two FTs.
KD off the dribble and he hits the fade away in the paint falling to the ground.
KD pump fakes at the elbow and he drills the elbow jumper over Watson.
Timeout Nuggets with 5:38 to go in the 2nd quarter.
Nurkic lobs it over the top and KD glides to the bucket for the alley oop lay up.
Allen to the line after the foul on KCP and he drops both FTs.
Beal to the line after the foul on Jokic and he hits both out of the timeout.
Timeout Nuggets with 6:51 to go in the first half.
Roddy to the rim and he hits the bucket AND 1! FT is good.
MPJ pull up from the mid range and hits it from the short wing.
Bol T'd up for hanging on the rim and Murray hits the FT.
Bol puts it on the deck from the corner and stretches to the rim for the jam.
Murray spots up for three from the top of the key and he's got 14 already.
Gordon to the line after the foul on Braun and he hits on of two FTs.
Watson skying to the rim off the lob from Murray and he tips it in off the baseline cut.
Eubanks scoops up a loose ball down low and explodes to the rim for th jam.
Braun to the line after the foul on Eubanks and he hits one of two FTs.
Nnaji to the line after a couple offensive boards and he hits both FTs after the foul on Bol.
Gordon to the line after the foul on Watson and he hits one of two FTs.
Beal drives right down the lane and he lays it up and in.
We are at the end of the first quarter and the Nuggets are up four after an 11-2 run to end the opening 12 minutes.
Allen leads all scorers with 12 points off four threes. KD has 6 after the first.
Murray was hot from the mid range to start and he's got 11 to lead the Nuggets. Jokic has 6, 3 and 2 heading into the second.
Jokic beats the buzzeer with a deep three off one foot and that's how the quarter is going to come to an end!
Gordon euro steps to the cup and lays it off the glass.
KD lost it and Braun trailing the break, streaks in for the slam.
Murray in the corner off the kick out from Watson and he drills the three ball!
Jackson with the catch and shoot from long range and he drills it from the top of the key.
KD off the dribble and he drops the mid range jumper.
Lee to the line after the foul on Jackson and he hits both FTs.
Watson off the bench and he goes coast to coast and finishes with a lay in off the glass.
Timeout Nuggets with 3:20 to go in the first quarter!
Allen with his fourth three of the first quarter, and he's come out on fire!
Nurkic to the line after the foul on MPJ and he hits one of two FTs.
Murray gets to the elbow and hits the fade away over the defender.
Allen drills his third three of the night, and he's stepped up early in the absence of Booker.
MPJ drops a three ball from the top of the key and that's his second of the game.
KD comes out of the timeout and drills the elbow jumper.
Murray is hot from the mid range, he hits his third FG of the first quarter and the Suns take an early timeout with 7:26 to go in the 1st quarter.
O'Neale gets the corner three to fall off the kick out from Allen!
Jokic with another turnover and this time it's Beal taking it for the lay up after the steal.
Porter Jr. drills a three ball and he's on the board for the first time after the perfect night from the field against the Lakers.
Murray off the pump fake in the paint and he gets the short jumper to go.
O'Neale turns over Jokic and he lays it off for KD on the slam off the break.
Allen from downtown again and this time from the wing on the strong side.
KCP with the steal and the slam in transition.
Murray on the step back from the mid range and he is on the board for the first time tonight.
Jokic was left all alone on the perimeter and he drills the three ball!
Allen drops a three ball form the corner, and the league's best deep ball shooter is on the board.
WE ARE UNDERWAY FROM DENVER!!!
With Booker on the sideline, it's going to be Royce O'Neale filling in the starting five. KD and Beal will get the majority of the looks with Allen putting in work on the defensive end and Nurkic crashing the boards and trying to keep Jokic as quiet as possible.
The Nuggets rode this starting five to their first NBA Title last season, so why not do it again this year? They have stayed healthy for the most part this season and if they continue to stay healthy, it's hard to think of a team that can beat them in a seven game series. It's Murray and Jokic joined by KCP, Gordon and MPJ.
Western Conference standings
Taking a look at the Western Conference standings we see the Denver Nuggets right in the race for the one seed. This six game win streak has shot them up the standings and they come into tonight just a half game back of the Timberwolves. The Suns are hanging on to the sixth seed, but just barely. They are 6.5 games back of the Timberwolves which is just a half game above the Sacramento Kings and if the season ended tonight they would be in the playoffs with an automatic birth, which would keep them from having to play in the Play-In Tournament. There is a lot of time to go from here to the end of the season. We will see if the Suns are able to hold on to their automatic playoff bid.
No Joking around
Nikola Jokic knows how important it is to have home cooking in the playoffs, and maybe that’s why the two time MVP has kicked it into overdrive over the last few weeks. In last year’s title run they went 10-1 in the playoffs at Ball Arena, losing only Game 2 of the NBA Finals to Miami. They are almost unstoppable at home, and have only lost five games in the Mile High City so far this season. Since the turn of the break, Jokic is averaging 24.8 points, 14 rebonds and 11,6 rebounds and had four straight triple-doubles to being the final stretch of the season.
Don't sleep on Nurk
Jusuf Nurkic is quietly one of the best big men in the league, if you count out the last two MVPs of the NBA. Nurkic does everything you need of a center, and more. He can score the ball, but more importantly he is a force in the paint and under the boards. If his 31 rebounds against the Thunder doesn’t tell you that than I’m not sure what will. While he may be more touted for his defense, he has the ability to post big numbers on the offensive end. In the Suns last game against the Nuggets in December, Nurkic faced off against Nikola Jokic and had 31 points in 33 minutes.
Book out
The Phoenix Suns have had a problem getting their three stars on the court at the same time. This was supposed to be the new super team in the league, but injuries have disarmed them time and time again. This time it’s Devin Booker who had been sidelined after spraining his ankle late in the fourth quarter of the Suns loss to the Houston Rockets. He missed last game against the Thunder, and has been ruled out for tonight’s game against the Nuggets.
Nuggets last game
The Nuggets went into LA and spoiled LeBron James’ party after becoming the first player in the NBA to reach 40,000 points. It was their sixth straight win since the All-Star Break, which they went into on a three game losing skid. Mike Malone’s guys have been on fire since then, and not surprisingly the Nuggets rode Nikola Jokic to a win in the Crytpo.com Arena. Neither team had a double digit lead in the second half as the game went back and forth, but in the final few minutes it was Jokic who had 35, 10 and 7 and Michael Porter Jr. who put up 25, 10 and 4 on a night in which he went 10/10 from the field, who made the difference down the stretch in their 124-114 win over the Lakers.
Suns last game
The Suns hosted the OKC Thunder in the desert over the weekend and kept it close with one of the top teams in the conference, even without Devin Booker who sat out with a sprained right ankle. Jusuf Nurkic was heroic, dragging down a career high 31 rebounds against the Thunder, and Bradley Beal made up for the absence of Booker, but it was the turnovers that plagued the Suns down the stretch. Phoenix battled back from a 24 point third quarter deficit to take the lead in the final quarter, but the Thunder rumbled back on the shoulders of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and won it 118-110.
We are live from Ball Arena
Hello everyone and welcome to Denver where Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets have looked like the team that brought this city its first Larry O’Brien trophy over the last couple weeks. While they haven’t looked bad, the championship hangover may have taken a little longer to kick than expected but they are in striking position, and have shown how dangerous they can be when they have home court advantage. The Suns are slipping since the break, having lost four of their last six. Before the break it looked like things were starting to sort themselves out with Booker, KD and Beal beginning to get some time together. That hasn’t quite been the case since the midseason respite, and their return to action has seen them slide down the conference standings. Tonight they can start to turn things around against the defending champs and one of the hottest teams in the league.
Suns vs. Nuggets live
The Denver Nuggets haven’t lost a game since coming back from the All-Star Break and are now challenging the top teams in the Western Conference for the one seed in the final stretch of the season. Tonight they welcome the Phoenix Suns to Ball Arena and AS English will be with you all night providing live coverage, stats, highlights and analysis of tonight’s game from the Mile High City.