Nikola Jokic scored 13 of his 32 points during a pivotal third quarter as the Denver Nuggets defeated the struggling Phoenix Suns 117-90 on Monday night.
Michael Porter Jr. added 24 points on an efficient 10-of-12 shooting for Denver, which played without guard Jamal Murray due to a sprained left ankle. The victory marked the Nuggets’ fourth win in their last five games, while the Suns suffered their third consecutive loss.
The Suns were without guards Devin Booker (left groin) and Grayson Allen (concussion protocol), leaving them reliant on Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, who each scored 23 points. Denver led by four at halftime and surged ahead by outscoring Phoenix 45-28 in the third quarter. Jokic, Porter, and Russell Westbrook combined to shoot 13-for-17 in the period, contributing to the team’s overall 18-of-28 shooting performance.
Phoenix struggled offensively, missing eight of their first 12 shots in the third quarter and falling behind by as much as 24 points.
Takeaways:
Suns: Jusuf Nurkic, who has historically guarded Jokic well, faced early foul trouble and played only 9:15 in the first half, finishing with four fouls and limited impact.
Nuggets: With Murray sidelined, coach Michael Malone utilized his bench more, giving guard Jalen Pickett significant minutes. Pickett scored a career-high 11 points and played 22 minutes after totaling just 41 minutes in the first 26 games of the season.
Key Moment:
After Phoenix scored eight consecutive points to trim a 24-point deficit, Jokic was fouled on a layup attempt. Although he missed the ensuing free throw, the Nuggets secured the rebound, leading to Hunter Tyson’s corner 3-pointer that extended Denver’s lead to 100-79 heading into the fourth quarter.
Key Stat:
The Nuggets improved to 4-0 in games played on the second night of back-to-back matchups.
Up Next:
The two teams will face off again on Christmas night in Phoenix.
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