Game Recap: Suns take down Nuggets in Mile High City AGAIN, 104-97!

It was a Kevin Durant masterclass on both ends of the floor. The Suns’ superstar had an efficient 30-point game complimented by 13 rebounds and five blocks on the evening.

“We had a good practice and film session yesterday and we were ready to play,” said Kevin Durant postgame on ESPN.

Thad Young stepped up, providing 18 quality minutes, finishing +15 with 6 points and 9 rebounds. The Suns played a steady 48 minutes of basketball against a very good basketball team in an arena they rarely lose in.

Phoenix jumps up to the 7th seed in the West with the win.

Key Performers

• Devin Booker — 17 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds, 5-17 FG
• Kevin Durant — 30 points, 13 rebounds, 5 blocks, 12-20 FG
• Nikola Jokic — 22 points, 10 assists, 9 rebounds, 9-16 FG
• Michael Porter Jr. — 18 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, 7-16 FG

Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

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Game Flow

First Half

The Suns got off to a hot start from three, hitting five of their first 6 attempts from deep. They jumped ahead to a 19-14 lead after a deep Grayson Allen three leading to a timeout from Denver.

The Nuggets matched the Suns’ early offensive punch, shooting just as, if not more efficiently early on.

There were some early Thad Young minutes with the absence of Jusuf Nurkic while Drew Eubanks shifted into the starting lineup.

The teams entered the second quarter deadlocked at 29 apiece led by 10 points from Devin Booker. Caldwell-Pope paced Denver with 9 points in the opening frame, drilling three triples.

The second quarter opened with a 10-2 Phoenix run to extend their lead to eight, forcing a Denver timeout with 8:20 remaining.

Phoenix was shooting a ridiculous 7-13 from three at that point. Their defensive intensity was noticeably improved early on, including this gem from Durant.

After the timeout, Beal drilled a three and Eubanks punched home a dunk off a Kevin Durant dime to extend the lead to eleven, 44-33. Jokic had just 2 points at this point of the game.

Despite being up by eight, the Suns trailed in the turnover department, coughing it up eight times to Denver’s two.

Thad Young ended the second quarter with a buzzer-beating follow-up jumper. At the half, Phoenix led by seven, 59-52. Kevin Durant and Michael Porter Jr. led all scorers with 14 points apiece.

Second Half

Phoenix started the second half sloppy with careless turnovers that led to easy Denver buckets to cut the lead down to five.

A quick 8-0 run by Phoenix gave the Suns a 13-point advantage, 69-56 with 9:30 remaining.

A four-minute scoring drought midway through the third stalled the Phoenix offense, allowing Denver to chip away at the lead.

A three-point play by Jokic trimmed the Phoenix lead to three, 71-68, with 4:41 remaining in the 3rd quarter. Denver was on a 12-0 run at the time, shrinking their deficit led by their MVP.

A Kevin Durant turnaround stopped the bleeding, ending Denver’s 12-0 run.

An 8-0 Phoenix run ensued, extending Phoenix’s lead back up to 11, leading to a timeout from Mike Malone.

The Suns took a 10-point lead into the final 12 minutes of action, 83-73.

The final quarter started in the Suns’ favor, jumping ahead with the bench unit leading the charge.

Jokic checked in and Denver instantly scored the next six points to cut the Suns’ lead down to 8. Phoenix built the lead back up to 15 following a huge three from Kevin Durant.

The Suns closed out the quarter strong defensively, slowing the Denver attack to secure the hard-fought road win.

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Up Next

Phoenix Suns @ Oklahoma City Thunder at 5:00 pm in Paycom Center.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports