In the first 24 minutes, the Suns had a higher eFG% (57.5% to 55.5%) and Phoenix had shot a very good 51.7% from the midrange and 83.3% at the rim. The first half was a good example of this Suns math problem. Look at it this way: The entire Suns’ team made only one more 3-pointer than Murray. Denver won the 3-point battle by 27 and with it the ballgame. That’s eight points more than the Nuggets.īut Denver made 16 3-pointers, while Phoenix made 7 on 23 attempts (30.4%). Phoenix is a team of midrange assassins and did a good job getting the ball into the paint - the Suns scored 72 points on 59% shooting on two-pointers in Game 1. The Suns have a math problem in this series. He said postgame, “We’re not going to win basketball games like that.”Įspecially not when Murray is playing like this. However, he had one assist and seven turnovers. Nikola Jokić was not on top of his game (he missed a lot of tip-in bunnies) and still finished with 24 points, 19 rebounds and five assists.ĭurant was efficient for the Suns, scoring 29 points on 12-of-19 shooting, with 14 rebounds. Josh Okogie can get the nod, but he hurts the Suns on the offensive end.ĭenver got a big game from Aaron Gordon who had 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting. It’s asking a lot from Booker, who has a big offensive load to carry and would risk foul trouble. The problem for the Suns: Who do they put on Murray to slow him? Chris Paul is not that guy anymore, he does not have the lateral quickness to stay in front of Murray. Murray from the bubble showed up in Denver (if you ask him, it’s simply that he’s healthy again and this is who he is), and he scored a game-high 34 points, hitting 6-of-10 from 3, with nine assists. 1) Jamal Murray was the best player on the floor Here are three takeaways from the Nuggets’ Game 1 win. This is what they look like when they are - and what they looked like most of the season on their way to the No.1 seed.ĭo you believe in the Nuggets now? They led essentially the entire way, pulled away in the fourth quarter and ran and hid from the Phoenix Suns in Game 1, winning at home 125-107. The Denver Nuggets would like to remind you that they have not been healthy the last couple of postseasons.
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