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Jamal Murray scored 34 factors, hitting six of Denver’s 16 3-pointers, and the Nuggets sprinted previous the Phoenix Suns 125-107 on Saturday evening in Recreation 1 of their second-round collection.
Reigning back-to-back NBA MVP Nikola Jokic had 24 factors and 19 rebounds, whereas Aaron Gordon completed with 23 factors for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. However this was the Murray Present, the place he went 6 of 10 from 3-point land and regularly exhorted for extra noise from the already raucous crowd.
Kevin Durant scored 29 factors for the Suns, with Devin Booker including 27 and Chris Paul 11. Booker averaged 37.2 factors in a first-round collection win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Recreation 2 is Monday evening in Denver.
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Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets smiles throughout Recreation One of many Western Convention Semi-Finals of the 2023 NBA Playoffs in opposition to the Phoenix Suns on April 29, 2023 on the Ball Area in Denver, Colorado. (Bart Younger/NBAE by way of Getty Pictures)
This can be a totally different form of playoff collection than two years in the past, when the Suns swept the Nuggets within the second spherical. Again then, Denver was with out Murray after he tore his ACL.
Now wholesome, Murray is flashing his 2020 kind contained in the NBA bubble that helped Denver advance to the Western Convention finals.
Murray had the play of the evening when he stole a cross, break up defenders Paul and Durant at high pace and knocked in a layup excessive off the glass. It introduced the capability crowd to its ft.
The dynamic level guard was removed from carried out energizing the followers, hitting a 3-pointer with slightly below 7 minutes remaining. He implored them for extra noise, even holding a hand to his ear.
Jamal Murray (27) of the Denver Nuggets celebrates with Kentavious Caldwell-Popes (5) signature three-pointer gesture after Caldwell-Pope hit back-to-back threes in opposition to the Phoenix Suns through the second quarter at Ball Area in Denver on Saturday, April 29, 2023. (AAron Ontiveroz/MediaNews Group/The Denver Submit by way of Getty Pictures)
LEBRON JAMES DOESN’T SHAKE HANDS WITH GRIZZLIES AFTER ELIMINATING THEM FROM PLAYOFFS
Main 106-95 with 7:40 remaining, the Nuggets went on a 14-0 run to place away the sport. Denver led by as a lot as 25 and improved to 38-7 at dwelling by the common season and playoffs.
The distinction was the 3-point line, the place the Nuggets outscored the Suns by a 48-21 margin.
To cease Durant, the Nuggets used a mess of defenders. He went 12 of 19 from the ground, however 1 of three on 3-pointers. Durant has 4,730 playoff factors to maneuver nearer to passing Karl Malone (4,761) seventh place on the NBA’s postseason factors leaderboard.
TIP-INS
Suns: Suns coach Monty Williams used his problem early — with 55.4 seconds left within the first quarter — when Booker was known as for a cost on a made a basket. It paid off as the decision was overturned and Booker awarded a free throw, which he made. … Deandre Ayton scored 14 factors.
Nuggets: Nuggets coach Michael Malone known as a timeout 32 seconds into the second half to settle his group down. … Bruce Brown had 14 factors.
Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets goes to the basket in opposition to Deandre Ayton #22 of the Phoenix Suns within the first quarter at Ball Area on April 29, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Pictures)
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PAUL PRAISE
As Paul approaches his thirty eighth birthday subsequent week, Malone mentioned the one factor that hasn’t modified through the years is Paul’s elite competitiveness.
“He’ll be 55 years outdated, enjoying in a rec league again in North Carolina, and he’s going to be the identical man,” Malone mentioned. “The man hates to lose, ultra-competitive and one of many best leaders I’ve ever been round. … It doesn’t matter what stage of his profession, he nonetheless finds a option to impression successful at a excessive stage.”
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